Angel
by PathlessSpore
Summary: She was born in darkness and despair. All she ever knew was pain and suffering. She was created to be the ultimate weapon until the day when she finally got to see the sun. Until she was saved by the pale man with intense eyes and a wavering soul. A man who never knew that by saving her he had saved himself.
1. The Institute

Angel  
>OcNuada  
>Chapter 1<br>The Institute

There was nothing now. Even after so many years of countless battles, Nuada knew when he was defeated. But he did not give up by his own choice; he would have killed the Demon had it not been for his sister Nuala. In the end, he had been about to grab for his knife to stab the red demon in the back, then he saw his sister and the one called Abraham. They held each other close and he could see her happiness, how could he take that all away from her? In the end, he had acted like the humans he had despised so much. He had been about to take away the only happiness his sister now had; he vowed then and there he would never be so selfish ever again. He surrendered, but only for Nuala.

Of course there had been repercussions for his near all-out war against mankind. His own people had thrown him out of court; they no longer recognized him as a prince and as heir to the Silverlance throne. Nuala would have taken his place but she left court as well, if her brother was not welcome amongst their people she would not bless them with her presence. Not only was he no longer royalty, he was forced to spend the rest of his days serving community service to the BPRD. Nuada would have ended his life in shame had it not been for the connection with Nuala.

Three years had passed since then. In that time Liz Sherman had given birth to her twins, making Hellboy a father. Liz had named Nuala their Godmother and Abraham as their Godfather. Liz and "Red" spent most of their days preoccupied with their children, happy to have each other. Nuala spent her time with Abraham and Nuada was slowly going insane. There was nothing to do; he was forever confined to the BPRD headquarters, with either the books to read or his sword practice. And there was only so much reading one could do before it became boring.

Nuala tried to get him to talk and "Bond" with the other agents but he kept his distance. He did not like them and they shared the same feelings. Hellboy was able to stand being around him and the former prince had to hold a grudging respect for the demon, he had after all beaten him. Liz still didn't like him for stabbing her husband in the chest, Abraham tolerated him because of his sister and the other agents just hated his very existence.

It was early one day when Manning, current Head of the BPRD, was reading over a file about a new mission. They were tasked to investigate a place in northern Russia called The Institute. It was rumored that illegal experimentation was being conducted there. There were sightings of Hellhounds around the area, and other nasty creatures lurking about. With that many supernaturals about, that place was obviously up to no good. He sighed as he popped in a couple more pills. He paged several agents down to the office and minutes later Hellboy, Liz, Abe, Dr. Kruass, Nuada, and others came tromping in. All sat except for the former prince who stood up against the wall silently.

"Alright," started Manning, he powered up a nearby screen and all watched as pictures flickered to life, "We'll be performing an investigation in Russia. Our Target: The Institute. Reports say that it's been around for almost a hundred years, taking in the sick and mentally unstable. But our sources think there's a lot more going on than that. Packs of Hellhounds have been seen guarding the perimeter along with sightings of trolls and many others. There are also reports of Illegal experimentation going on. The bosses up top want us to put a stop to it, collect the data and have it looked over. And if necessary bring the building to the ground."

The screen flashed to a large overhead map, a large red marker pointed to the location of The Institute. A few hundred yards away was a smaller red marker,

"We'll be camping out here," Explained manning, pointing to the smaller marker, "At 23:00 hours we'll move into our positions and take the place. Search the building from top to bottom, if it attacks you, kill it. Whatever data you find salvage it so it can be brought in for decrypting. If there are any survivors of their Experimentation, bring them in alive."

Manning went on to explain the teams. Liz, Red, Abe, and Nuada were paired together. Their job was to search the place while the other agents took care of the outside.

"Get ready, we leave in three hours."

Nuada was the first to leave the room, another mission. He supposed it was the only thing he was good for anymore. But in a way he was glad for them; at least he got out instead of being confined to this place. And it was obvious they trusted him enough for it, which was unnecessary. He had given his solemn vow to his sister; he had even used his true name to seal it. He could never turn his back on such a promise. Nuala found him in the hallway walking toward his room to ready his things.

"Be careful." She said quietly. She always told him this before he left, in a way he was glad for it. It let him know, despite all that he tried to do, she still loved him.

"I always am." He replied as he punched in the code that opened his door. His room was decent sized with a bed to his right a dresser to his left and a bathroom to the far wall. Shelves lined the walls and they were filled to the brim with old books that he had collected over the years. They were all written in languages that had been long forgotten by humanity. They were his pride and joy; he kept them in excellent condition. He crossed the room in a few easy steps. He grabbed his double swords and his spear and set them on the bed as he went to change into his leather armor. It hugged his body easily, allowing him to move freely without worrying about being too slow or too restrained to move about. As practice, he grabbed his spear and lunged at invisible opponents.

Satisfied he sat on his bed; Pre-battle meditation had always been a habit of his. It was calming and it freed his mind of any unnecessary thoughts, and he certainly had a lot of them of the late. He couldn't get rid of the loneliness he had been prone to feeling lately. Of course, he always had Nuala, but she usually preferred to spend all of her moments with Abraham. But something bothered him immensely. Their connection, the very power that had always let him know that Nuala was safe, was weakening. Nuada guessed it was because she had always been so close to him in all their years of existence, now that she had Abraham she was slowly connecting with him.

It made Nuada sort of mad, this Fish like man came gallivanting out of nowhere and spirited away his sister on him. But she was happy and that was all that mattered. But the connection was still there, very weak but was intact. He would get flashes of images when she was on the other side of the Bureau, or when she was feeling an extremely strong emotion. Other than that, he couldn't hear her and at times couldn't feel her at all. The very thought of his mind being left alone made him skittish.

But, despite all of the things that were changing, he was glad she had found someone to spend the rest of her life with. Losing the connection would be worth it in the end.

* * *

><p>The small cell was claustrophobic, there was no light, no sound, and it smelled horrible. Water was constantly dripping from the ceiling above as the creature huddled closer to the corner. No, not a creature, a girl. Perhaps no older than eighteen, she had pure white hair, perhaps even whiter than snow. Her eyes were icy blue, and her skin as pale as the moon itself. She was skinny, underfed, and weak. She was dressed in a hospital smock, stained with old blood. Stitches covered her arms and legs, and if one were to lift the smock, on her stomach and back as well. The most distinguishing feature of all: Her large, pure white wings. If she had the strength and the room, she could stretch them out more than seven feet. They were heavy and well-muscled, and soft to the touch.<p>

This girl had no name, her creators only referred to her was the Celestial Genesis Project. She didn't know what it meant, but then again she didn't know much about anything. She had grown up here at The Institute, with the others of her kind. But unlike them, she was the only one that survived past child birth. The very thing her creators had ever hoped for. She didn't like her creators, they weren't very nice. They liked to poke her with needles and cut her open a lot. Sometimes they didn't even put her to sleep before they cut her open, they kept her awake made her watch as they took out her insides.

"You're very special." They would tell her as they performed the procedures, "You'll save people one day." She highly doubted that, all she was good for was being their personal pin cushion. And their experiments never seemed to end. She could heal small cuts on herself and when she was upset she could destroy things with her mind. She supposed she could fly too, but she was so afraid of heights. The Creators had tried throwing her off of a high balcony in the training room once; she had plummeted to the floor below, breaking several bones. She had been punished for that. One time, just to see what would happen, they broke her wings too. They had hurt for several days and refused to heal on their own. The creators had to fix them for her and she had been punished for not fixing them on her own. She seemed to be disciplined for things she couldn't control a lot.

Then the steel door opened, she tensed a bit but relaxed when she saw who walked through. Of all of her Creators she liked this one the best. Her name was Dr. Riley, she had warm brown eyes and black hair tied in ponytail. She was tall, and nice to the girl. She liked Dr. Riley a lot; she didn't poke her with needles or try to cut her open. She brought her food and talked to her sometimes. She wondered if Dr. Riley felt bad about what was happening to her, because she often told her that when she got out of here she was going to take her to go see the ocean. Dr. Riley assured that she would love it. Yes, she liked Dr. Riley a lot.

The Doctor placed a tray of food on the floor and the girl immediately grabbed it and stuffed her face. Food was rare for her and if she didn't eat it fast enough she was afraid that someone might take it from her. Dr. Riley watched until she was finished, when the winged girl was done she pushed the tray away and huddled back in the corner. Riley took it, smiled at the girl and left the room.

* * *

><p>Dr. Rene Riley watched The Celestial Genesis Project eat with gusto. The child knew that food was not freely given and she had had it finished within a minute or two. Satisfied she grabbed the empty tray and turned to leave, before she closed the door she looked back.<p>

"I'll get you out of here." she promised and she closed the steel door. When Rene had been younger she had dreamed about working at the Institute. She wanted to help people and help their lives become better, when she had been recommended for the job of assistant to the special project they were performing; she took it without a second thought. She regretted it years later.

The Celestial Genesis Project was an attempt to create artificial Angels from human DNA mixed with Avian DNA. They had spent thousands of dollars funding the project, going through numerous files until they found their potential DNA donors. These people, the scientists the headed the project, knew that in order to create a usable Angel it needed to have powers, and child's parents were perfect. Mary Martinez of Mexico was a decedent of a long line of Light Wielders, people who could use the holy power of light. Her father, an American, could use the same powers.

They took the Eggs and Sperm of each parent and with the use of current technology mixed Avian DNA to the child. There were several attempts, none of the creations lived past birth, and most were stillborn. Until they finally were able to get her. She had no name, as she was the first of the entire strain of her kind. There was no end to what they could accomplish with the data she could give. With her Light Powers, she could heal herself of small cuts and destroy things with her mind. The other Doctors assumed she could fly and even threw off a balcony once, it didn't go so well.

Rene hated them all, she wanted to help people, not hurt an innocent child. When she had been first introduced to the CGP Experiment she had finally known what she had gotten herself into. It was then and there she vowed to get the girl out of here, so she could live her own life and make her own decisions. She talked to the girl, gave her food, and even promised her she would get her out. She didn't know if she understood Rene, but she seemed to like her well enough. The girl never talked, never made a sound except when she screamed, and she screamed a lot. She figured the girl screamed just to please the scientists, and they were a sick bunch of people to seem satisfied at that.

But that was all coming to an end. Help would be here soon, and when they finally brought this damn hell hole to the ground. She would take her to go see the ocean, just like she had promised.

_A/N: So this is my first attempt at a Hellboy Story. I hope you like and feel free to flame away_


	2. Raid!

Angel  
>OcNuada  
>Chapter 2<br>Raid!

The building could be seen from a distance, it was large and looming. The stone was a dark hue of gray and gave of a sense of foreboding. Nuada stood knee deep in snow as he gazed over the trees and hills at their target. He wore only his battle tunic, while the others tried to desperately to keep warm. The cold meant nothing to him; impatiently he shifted his footing while waiting for the signal that would commence this raid.

It was dark out, snow slowly falling around the group while the moon and stars shone in the sky above. The air was crisp and sweet, seemingly untainted by the pollution humans had released into the world. For a moment Nuada allowed himself to think that all was right in the world, that humans were not slowly destroying the planet he called his home.

Nuada tensed; from the distance he saw the desperate flash of a bright green light from the northern side of the estate. It was time; he unsheathed his spear and spun it a few times as the others joined his side. It was silent as they waited for the other agents to begin their first attack. Then came a loud explosion, the gates were blown open as several men poured through. From the very shadows creatures as dark as the night and just as terrifying emerged. They were large and their howls chilled the bone. Hellhounds. Gunshots were heard as the Red Team slid down the mountain side and joined their comrades.

A Hellhound leaped at Nuada, he easily dodged the claws and plunged his spear into the beasts chests, Hellboy took out his gun and began firing rapidly as Liz set a few on fire. They fought their way through the masses of Hellhounds until they reached the large iron doors.

"Knock, Knock." grumbled Red as he kicked the door in. The doors banged loudly on the walls revealing the dark foyer. It was eerily empty; Nuada had at least suspected someone to be here, the team spread out to search for the entrance to the underground labs that had been reported to be here. The Elven prince walked along the walls, using his sensitive ears to detect changes in the drafts. Abe was using his psychic abilities to do the same; Red was banging on the floor while Liz checked the room for patterns.

As he was passing the painting of the Human Virgin Mary Nuada stopped. He looked up at it and began to pry at the side. He managed to slip his fingers into a hidden grip and pulled the painting back to reveal a large stairwell that led further down into the establishment.

"I found it." He called to the others and they rushed to his side. Red lit a cigar and puffed on it lazily as he nudged Abe in the arm,

"Sense anything nasty down there Blue?"

"I don't know, I can't get a good reading."

Liz huffed as she flexed her hands, "Well whatever's down there better be ready," she turned on her walkie-talkie, "Red Team to Alpha, we found the door to the labs, permission to go down?"

It was silent for a few minutes before Dr. Krauss's voice could be heard from the other side,

"Wait for the backup team Agent Sherman then proceed."

"Roger."

They arrived soon enough and with Red as point they slowly made their way down. The stairs seemed to go on forever as the Agents flipped on their flashlights, water dripped down from the pipes on the walls and Nuada could smell the mold. Then, a large steel door came into view; Hellboy carefully pushed it open and peered out. What he saw surprised him.

It was no wonder the place seemed dead; several bodies littered the floor as the Team stepped through. They had been mutilated beyond recognition, claw marks were seen and several limbs were missing, blood covered the walls. It was like a great beast had been let loose into the place.

"Search for survivors." commanded Liz. Nuada stepped over the dead searching for those who were not so badly torn apart. From the opposite wall where he was standing, he could see that several walls had been knocked apart, leaving the dead trailing behind. Whatever had caused this destruction was gone. But everyone remained cautious, if it was still around, there was no telling where it might show up. Nuada wandered over to the far side of the large room, several balconies' were above him leading to parts of the lab he would never see. It was a big place and obviously well-funded for. He climbed a nearby set of stairs,

"Try not to wander too far, Princey. Whatever killed these poor saps might still be here." Came the cackled voice of Hellboy. Nuada did not reply, he only kept the device on him so he could come to the aid of others, not to have a conversation. He strode down one hallway, opening doors to several offices but found nobody. He was beginning to give up when he heard a faint cough. His sensitive ears picked up the noise and he instantly went for his communicator,

"I think I found someone." He said as he began to jog over to a room down the hall. When he opened a nearby door he found the body of a young woman dressed in a doctor's coat stained with blood. The red liquid ran down her face and poured out from her side. Her black hair stuck to her face as she stared up at the elf with brown eyes.

"On our way." Came Liz's voice. Nuada kneeled down next to her,

"Can you tell me your name?"

"Good you made it." she said, it was obvious she had lost a lot of blood. Her voice was weak as she coughed more.

"Your name." Nuada commanded,

"Rene. Rene Riley." Footsteps thundered down the hall as Liz, with a med kit in her hands, Hellboy and Abe came into the room. The fire starter pushed aside her husband and went to Rene's side.

"Did you find her yet?"

"Find who?" asked Liz as she began to staunch the Doctors wounds, "What happened here?"

"The Head knew somebody had alerted you to our presence, he didn't know it was me. Angry he set the beast loose, willing to destroy lives for the sake of his research. That thing killed us all, and in the end it got him too. She's the only one that can stop that thing."

"She, who?"

Rene looked at the elf, "The Project, find her. She's in the basement, in cell fourteen. You have to find her, please." The doctor began to cry as she grew ever weaker, "I promised her she'd be free. I promised."

"Stay with me." Liz cried as the Doctor sobbed harder, expending all of her energy. She shoved a small black object into Liz's hands as her own dropped to the floor. Her eyes never left Nuada's.

"Promise to take care of her, someone needs to." She said weakly as he eyes began to close. Liz was starting to yell at Rene, screaming at her not to give up, "Tell her…" she whispered, "Tell her I'm sorry I couldn't take her to see the ocean."

Nuada watched Rene die, the light leaving her eyes. He felt no urge to seal this promise and left it hanging in the air. Liz stared down at the dead body then at her hands. The object was a Flash drive,

"Let's hope it contains our answers." she said as she got up, "Split up, Red go with Nuada to the basement and search for this project. Let me know when you find her."

"Alright," Red pulled out his gun, "Let's go." The duo left the office and walked back down to the main room. Already other teams were inside going through the large labs. They had turned the main hall into a kind of headquarters. Easily enough, a map was displayed in the room, and Nuada and Hellboy found the door to the basements.

It got colder the father down they got and by the time they reached the bottom of the long stairs Nuada's breath was misting. The cells started right off and both he and the demon began counting the cells.

"Lucky number fourteen." said red as he cocked his gun. He kicked the door in and the Former prince cautiously stepped in. And when his eyes adjusted to the dark, he almost took a step back. He could not believe what he was seeing. Crouching in the corner, gown covered in dry old blood, was a pale ethereal girl. Her eyes gazed at him with fright as she tried to back farther into the corner. Attached to her, were a pair of large white wings.

"You see this, don't you?" whispered the Elf, and Red was silent. His cigar had dropped out of his mouth as he put down his gun.

"The project." he mumbled. Nuada nodded and he took a careful step forward. The girl scrambled back, frightened of him and more frightened of red. She whimpered and tears sprung to her eyes as she tried to go through the very wall.

"Step back, Demon. She does not like your presence." Hissed the former Prince. Red huffed as he backed out of the room, the pale skinned elf got down on his haunches. From behind him he could hear the demon tell his wife what had just happened. Slowly he reached out a hand to the girl; she eyed it with caution, and made no move to grab it.

Nuada was disgusted at the very thought of these human's experimenting with their own kind. The value of a life meant nothing and in the end he was glad whatever beast had been let loose on them had killed them all. "I will not hurt you." he said softly as scooted closer. She made no movement and he took it as a good sign.

Inch by inch he came ever closer to her until he was a mere few feet away. He could easily reach out and touch her white hair and stroke her beautiful wings. Instead he reached for her hands and she didn't protest when he gently grabbed them. She seemed fascinated by his hands and she took this time compare hers with his. His hands were considerably larger than hers, more slender but hers were skinny. Nuada could see she was underfed as he arms were too skinny for any human to be.

Gently he took her by the arms and helped her to her feet. Her legs wobbled with disuse and she clung to him fiercely. Now he could see why Dr. Riley wanted him to promise to take care of her. She was very fragile and had most likely had never seen the outside world.

"I will protect you," he whispered to her as he led her out of the cell, a place she had come to know all her life, "That I promise."

* * *

><p>He was the most beautiful creature she had ever seen. When he stepped into her cell he had a very big and scary presence. He demanded respect and that caused her to cower in a corner, hoping he would not see her. However, his gold eyes settled on her form and she could not take her eyes away from his. She was so concentrated on him she barely noticed the other, that was until he stepped into the room. She whimpered as she backed up against the wall.<p>

Fear churned in her body as she cried, she did not like the red one. He was almost like the creature she had always been forced to try and fight. It was a horrible beast who lived on suffering and blood, it's cry was like a death knell and it always seemed to freeze her in place. The beautiful one noticed how scared she was of the large creature and sent him out of the room.

His voice, when he talked to her, was soft. He held out his hand to her, but she was not really sure if she should trust him. She eyed it nervously, but she didn't protest when he scooted closer to her. Soon he was so very close she could reach out and touch his face. Such a beautiful face it was too; elegant and sharp, pale and he had a scar running across his nose. He took her hands in his and she was immensely fascinated in them, she took this moment to compare his with hers. Large, slender, softer to the touch; the hands of a male who knew how to fight.

She liked him, and she didn't fight when he took her arms helped her to a standing position. Her legs were weak and she couldn't help but lean most of her weight upon him, he didn't seem to mind though. His voice was soft as he whispered words more to himself than to her. She didn't catch what he had said, as she was a bit more preoccupied with the large red thing keeping a distance from her. She eyed it warily but it seemed well behaved, she briefly wondered if the male had tamed it; unlike the one that had always lived here.

The trio walked back down the hall and up the stairs. When they came into the large main doors a stunned hush fell over the large group of people who were settled there. They stared at her in awe, unable to take their eyes from her wings. The elegant male moved her across the room to a woman with short black hair and quickly talked to her. The woman was talking back just as quickly; the winged one found that she did not like it. Dr. Riley always talked slowly to her, so she could understand her; these people had no regard for her.

She made a small noise, angry and a bit upset as she glared at the man she held onto. He didn't quite understand her, as he reluctantly handed her over to the woman. The girl talked swiftly in hushed soothing tones as she coaxed the girl into a sitting position on a nearby table. She checked her over for wounds and abrasions, and left her a moment later.

She took the time to look around, she had never usually been conscious when she was taken out of her cell. The room was large with Balcony's littered about and small rooms adjoined with this one. There were long dark hallways that lead off into different parts of the building and she could smell the faint tang of spilt blood. A wall on the opposite end of the room had been knocked down and rubble lay everywhere. She looked about for Dr. Riley, hoping that she was among the people here.

The black haired woman came back with something in her hands. She tapped it a few times and the winged one recognized it the second the woman brought it into the light. She screamed bloody murder as she leaped back off the table, scrambling away from the woman who looked at her shocked.

* * *

><p>Nuada heard her shrill scream and his head whipped around swiftly. Liz Sherman had a large needle of antibiotics in her hand. The girl had taken one good look at the needle and had lost her head. She was screaming as she jumped back off the table she was sitting on. Her wings flapped furiously as she tried to back away from the woman who held the very thing that had tortured her all her life. It looked like she was trying to fly away but her wings refused to work together as she barely managed to get a few inches off the ground. She fell on her behind and scrambled backwards.<p>

Nuada was at her side in a flash, he began to shush her as he grabbed her arms and forced her to look at him. Her blue eyes met his gold ones; fear etched every fiber of their color.

"All is well." He assured slowly as he stroked her arm, using a technique his sister used to calm frightened children. The effect was instantaneous; her breathing evened out as she kept her attention focused on him. Liz took this time to gently stick the needle in her arm; she gasped but did not fight as the woman pushed the medicine into her system. Soon it was over and the former prince backed away to make room for another agent who had managed to procure a large snack bar for her to eat.

She took it, studied it for a moment, it was obvious she had never seen it before. Nuada sat down next to her and took the bar from her, unwrapped it and broke off a piece. He made sure she was watching as he popped it into his mouth and gave her the rest. She mimicked him and gave a small grunt of pleasure at the taste.

"So this is "The Project?" asked Manning as he walked over to the small group that had formed to watch the girl in awe. Nuada looked up and nodded,

"Most likely, she was the only one in Cell Fourteen."

"Did you get a chance to look at the Flash Drive Dr. Riley gave you?" Todd asked Liz, she nodded slightly,

"Yeah a bit, I could only read the first entry though. There are tons and tons of files on there; it would take days to find out about her."

They all glanced back at the winged girl; she sat with her arms around her knees happily humming to herself.

"So what do we do now?" asked Hellboy,

"Well we can't leave her here." Said Liz harshly. Everyone else nodded in agreement, she was their responsibility now.

"Can she talk?" Asked Todd. Nuada shook his head,

"Doubtful, she never had a reason to talk before. And if I'm correct about that, then these people never taught her how to read or write."

"Well, we know she's a screamer." Said Red with a grin. He grunted as Liz punched him hard in the stomach.

"That was unnecessary." She bit out as she placed her hands on her hips, Hellboy grinned sheepishly at her.

"Sorry." He mumbled as she straightened up. Nuada cast a dark look at him and returned his attention to the girl. She was curiously observing the bodies being brought down from the upper floors; she wrinkled her nose at the smell of death permeating from the bodies and shivered. As she continued to watch the activities she gave a sudden shout of agony. Before Nuada could stop her, she was up on her feet and half running half flying to the body of Rene Riley.

The project took the deceased doctor's hand in her own and made desperate noises, as if she was trying to wake Dr. Riley. Tears tumbled from her eyes as the woman refused to respond, her hands limp and her body slowly becoming stiff with Rigor Mortis. All watched sadly as the Winged girl cried for the loss of her one and only friend; many joined her in her tears, Liz being one of them. She carefully made her way to the girl's side, crouched down, and placed two loving hands on her shoulders. The girl did not fight the FireStarter as she brought her around and held her close. She sobbed uncontrollably for several minutes until there were no more tears left to cry, she sniffled and whimpered but her eyes were spent.

Nuada had watched the entire scene with sadness yet anger; it was depressing to see a creature such as her shed tears. Rene was most likely the only person who cared about her in this vile place, the only one who regretted becoming one of the many deceased scientists. He too joined the girl on the floor next to Rene's dead body, and as Liz left the two alone, he watched as the girl stroked the arm of Rene lightly.

"You don't have to be here anymore." He said softly, the winged one said nothing, she sniffled as she wiped away the remnants of her tears, "You're free."

She looked up at him, her eyes questioning his. He slowly stood and reached an outstretched hand to hers. She needed someone to guide and protect her. She would enter a world she never knew about, and he found it a personal responsibility to help her. No creature, human or not, should have never gone through the torture she had gone through.

She gazed at his hand a moment, pondering what he could have said and what this hand meant to her. Giving a light smile she grasped it and Nuada helped her to her feet and steadied her.


	3. Freedom

Angel  
>Chapter 3<br>Freedom

His arms were wrapped tightly around her waist as he led her through a large door she had never been through. Water slid down the walls and the smell of mold barely covered the smell of death. Carefully, while she tried to help, they climbed a steep set of stairs as the tall male she held on to carried most of her weight. The stone steps were cold and rough against her bare feet. She noticed, as they climbed higher, that her breath was beginning to mist as the air chilled around them, and she briefly wondered why. She was shivering as they stepped through another threshold and out into a large foyer filled with more people milling about.

Without giving her time to stop and stare at them as they were at her, the pale man took her towards a pair of open double doors and carried her outside. Her eyes widened with her gasp, her wings trembled in sheer awe at what lay before her. She wriggled free of his grasp and stumbled forward into a cold white substance. As she sat knee deep in the icy mess she grabbed a handful and studied it in her hands. With time the warmth of her body had melted it all until it was nothing but water running through her hands, leaving the skin red.

She noticed that more of it was falling out of the sky and she looked up and stared at the big grey expanse above her. Much of the substance fell gently on her face and in her hair. She grabbed another handful and began to play with it before it melted in her hands, she found that she was able to shape it into a ball and it seemed to pack itself together the more of it she put on itself.

She also took this time to notice her surroundings more and more; a large fence seemed to run around the entire building, with barbed wire preventing anyone from climbing over. The only way in was a large wrought iron gate with two towers on each side. Lights covered the gate as she noticed people sweeping the area with flashlights. In the distance, over what seemed like tall leafy structures, was another cluster of lights flashing about.

She was completely enthralled with what she was seeing she jumped a mile when her pale savior touched her arm gently. She looked up at him fearfully, wondering if she was in trouble. He kneeled down next to her, his intense gold eyes holding hers. Gently and slowly, as if he was worried he would scare her; he took her arm and threw it over his shoulder. Ever mindful of her wings he half dragged, half carried her towards the gate. He seemed to struggle now, the white substance slowed him down and she was sure her wings weren't helping much either.

She didn't give him a chance to argue with her while she pried herself from his grip. She stood behind him, and using his shoulders as a brace, she jumped up onto his back. The man instinctively grabbed her legs as they wrapped themselves around his waist. Using his weight he threw her higher up his back so she was able to lock her arms around his neck.

Movement was now much easier for him as her wings no longer posed a problem and her weight could be carried easier on his back. They trudged through the gate the wide area narrowed instantly into a path of sorts, weaving and bending around the large structures. Their bases looked brown and rough while their tops were green and looked a lot like needles. Quietly she observed and for a mere moment she glanced behind her. The entourage she had encountered before was following them from a distance. The woman with short black hair was talking to the red demon and even punched him in the arm, which the creature sheepishly looked away from. She found it strange, the demon she had known her whole life was much more feral than this tame one. If one of The Creators were to hit it, it would immediately fall into a rage, howling and screaming in fury. Perhaps this red one was tame after all, but that didn't mean she could trust it.

Noises from ahead brought her attention back around, the path had turned into a large clearing. People were rushing about to and fro frantically carrying crates to a large steel machine that looked longer than wider but the interior looked spacious enough to hold a handful of people. The male carried her up a ramp to the belly of the machine; A row of seats were each side and netting hung from the roof. Crates and equipment were strapped down and were resting in compartments above them.

The pale man set her down on one of the seats and she scrambled on it and hugged her knees. With wide eyes she looked around some more wondering if she could ever take everything in.

* * *

><p>Nuada watched her with interest; she seemed to study everything she could get her hands on. After she got over the initial shock of being somewhere new she fidgeted around a bit in her seat. While agents loaded on the rest of the equipment, she reached out and touched some of the netting hanging from the ceiling.<p>

She looked at its fabric, and tugged on it, and she craned her neck to see what held it to the top. She acted very much like a child, but Nuada could not blame her. She had been locked away her entire life and now she was free. Curiosity was and shock was just natural for someone like her, she had never been outside. Of course snow fascinated her; of course she would have gasped at the sight of the sky. These sights were new to her; all she had ever known was grey walls and suffering.

He truly looked at her for the first time now; he was right when he thought her hair looked white. It was pure and in the light it had a beautiful sheen and glow to it. It was long, reaching towards her lower back, and her face was pale an elegant. Her eyes were an icy white and blue mix, her complexion fair. She was tall, even in a sitting position. And for the first time, he noticed the scars.

White hot fury coursed through him as he saw each meticulous cut on her arms and legs. Her neck even had a few and if he were to look, he would most likely see them on her back and stomach. Vile humans, He thought hatefully, they had no honor, no remorse, no understanding of life. They saw her as something to help them reach their own selfish ends. Black soulless pits that could never be filled.

She then looked at him, and shrank back. Nuada gave her a confused glance; she was looking straight at him, trembling with fear. Was she… Was she reading his anger? He immediately calmed himself down, stemming his rush of fury. She gazed at him for several more tense seconds before she disregarded him and continued her exploring. Nuada watched her carefully, one to make sure she didn't touch anything she wasn't supposed to, but to study her more.

Was it possible she had sensed his anger? If that was so, what else could she do as a result of her experimentation? The answers would elude them until the analysts back at the BPRD could decrypt the Flash Drive they had obtained.

At that moment, he realized that she needed a name, a first step into her new life. But what would they call her? Her new name needed to be something that represented her. He gazed at her more carefully, taking in all of her features. Her white hair, her fair complexion, her icy eyes, her powerful wings, but what did they say about her.

The plane shuttered to life, causing her to jump a mile in her seat. She glanced around frantically and even shot her gaze to him. He tried to look nonchalant about the noises of the engine she was hearing and when she saw him calm, she began to quiet down herself. Nervously she looked around, huddling back into herself as the sounds increased with every passing minute. When the agents began to board she began to study them with interest. Liz and red were the first to board with humans whose names Nuada never bothered to learn, with Abraham right behind. Manning came in a few minutes later with Dr. Krauss; the tin man pushed a button which closed the plane hatch.

Nuada closed the distance between him and her in an instant as sat down, instinctively she grabbed his arm and clung it close to her. The tips of her wings shuttered nervously, her body tense as the engines began to whine louder. She gave a startled squeak as the plane lurched forward and began to move. With its gaining speed, her grip tightened until Nuada couldn't feel his arm anymore. He didn't realize she had that strong of a grip. Her wings were beginning to unfold in her growing nervousness; carefully he placed a hand on the outer bone and pushed it gently down against her back. She looked up at him, questioning him with her eyes.

He rubbed her arm reassuringly as the plane finally lifted off from the ground and ascended into the sky. She gasped at the sensation of her stomach dropping, and she rubbed her ears furiously. They must have finally popped minutes later because she heaved a sigh of relief and stopped rubbing them. Slowly her shivering stopped as the plane evened out and glided easily through the air. As time passed her curiosity began to take over, soon she was fidgeting in her spot. Swiveling her head her eyes took in everything again and she turned around to the small window.

Her wings quivered with excitement as she looked out upon the clouds and sky, watching as trees and cities passed by below them. She pressed her hands against the glass and crammed her face closer trying to get a better look. Nuada watched her with amusement as she continued to stare out; his attention was eventually broken when Liz wandered across the floor of the plane to sit next to her.

She gave Liz a second of her time but returned to her sightseeing, the Firestarter grinned and turned to him.

"She needs a name."

Nuada nodded, "I know."

"Any ideas?"

He shook his head; Liz tapped her chin in thought. The silence spread as Nuada went through the names in his mind. Heaven was out of the question as was Nevaeh, which was a ridiculous name as its predecessor. Evangeline and others like it was too long, as names started running out Nuada started to get more creative.

"Oriel." He stated suddenly, both she and Liz looked up at him, "Her name is Oriel."

"Are you sure, it sounds kind of like Oreo?"

Nuada nodded, "It's the name of the Angel of Destiny. It fits, does it not?"

"I suppose." Agreed Liz, she watched Oriel for a moment before she reached tentively forward. Nuada shifted in his seat and the black haired woman gave him a reprimanding glare, "I'm not going to hurt her, calm down." Slowly and gently she laid a hand on the soft white feathers, Oriel jumped and turned a head to her, wings trembling. Liz crooned at the soft suppleness and ran her fingers down the length of the right wing. Oriel watched her for a moment before she turned her attention back to the window, obviously enjoying Liz's touch.

As the hours passed by slowly, Oriel began gaining more and more confidence. She eventually left her position at the window and proceeded to study the rest of the agents. She was especially interested in Abraham as she constantly was comparing her hands with his. She gave curious grunts and she was always three inches from his face; she studied his eyes meticulously and poked him hard in the chest. Nuada eventually had to drag her away from him when she started to pick at his skin.

She then turned her curiosity towards Liz; she looked at her eyes, face, and her hands as well. Nuada could tell she had a thing for hands as she was constantly comparing them with hers, he didn't know what she was looking for but he let her continue. Then her gaze turned to Hellboy.

Her eyes became frightened and she seemed to retreat inside herself. Red held her gaze evenly, slowly puffing on a cigar, the demon seemed to understand that Oriel was afraid of her and kept his distance. He was leaning lazily with a hand draped over the back of the seat and with his legs crossed. As the seconds dragged by he finally looked away and Oriel's tense body relaxed.

Nuada leaned his head back and closed his eyes; the day had tired him out. He could feel his muscles becoming sore and tense, and he wanted nothing more to sink into a hot tub and relax. He dozed in and out of sleep as time ticked by. With a start he opened his eyes when he felt a body lean next to him. Nuada looked down to see Oriel resting her head on his arm. Her eyes were closed and her face peaceful, her arms were clinging to his shirt in an iron grip.

Nuada cast a glance around but none of the other agents seemed to think that the scene was weird. Among the Elfish people, touching was done only between lovers, especially while sleeping. He wasn't exactly used to the physical contact and he was sure one of the other agents would have said something, but then again human customs were always very strange and changed constantly. Sure that what was happening wasn't wrong he settled back down and closed his eyes once again. As his breathing evened out he failed to notice her moving his arm so she could rest her head in his lap and wrap her arms around his waist.

_I tried to go for a cute bonding experience at the end; I really didn't know what other kind of Shenanigans she could get into on the plane either. So let me know what you think and please flame away, I welcome it!_

_2thestarsandabove_


	4. A New Home

Angel  
>Chapter 4<br>A new home

_She was afraid, backed into a corner, wings trembling in fear. Her eyes were wide and her breathing erratic, it lumbered ever closer to her. On four legs, with long horns, and ever decaying skin. Black liquid oozed out of open wounds that never seemed to heal, only festered day after day. Its breath stank of rotten meat and the red haze in its feral eyes chilled her to the bone. It opened its giant maw, rows upon rows of fangs gleamed back at her. It was going to kill her this time…_

She woke up with a start, a loud noise had woken her from her sleep and as she turned her head the remnants of the nightmare began to slowly fade. These disturbing images were not new to her, every night she would be plagued by the visions of the demon, and it was always trying to eat her. Yawning she realized that she was no longer in the lap of her pale savior, but resting on the long seat itself. The fabric beneath her fingers was cool and smooth to the touch. She felt something warm on top of her and she realized that someone had covered her with a blanket. Rubbing her eyes she sat up and it fell away; a few men stared at her. Her wings, which had been cramped the entire trip, trembled and stretched to their full span. She moved them up and down slowly, and folded them gently against her body when she was done. The other men, many who had seen her before, barely casted her a glance before continuing their work. They jostled the colleagues to do the same.

For several minutes, she watched the activity with interest. They lifted the large crates that had been strapped down, and talked to each other quickly. They laughed and conversed easily with one another, passing the time with idle conversation. As the minutes ticked by, she started to wonder where her pale companion had gone to. She quickly looked around for any sign of him but he was not among the men working aboard the machine. With another quick glance she slowly set her petite foot on the floor. The metal was cold on her heel, and had funny ridges that felt strange when she slid it across the plating. She then set her other foot down and pushed herself up to a standing position, she swayed dangerously and her arms went out to steady herself. After she regained her balance she took a cautious step forward and proceeded to fall flat on her face. She grumbled to herself in embarrassment, hoping that no one saw her stumble over her own disused legs. From her position on the floor she noticed a pair of leather black boots approach her and she looked up. She recognized the long pale blonde hair of her new friend and she sheepishly grinned up at him.

He barely returned it, as he looked down at her. He must have known she was trying to walk by herself and he merely seemed amused at her failed attempt. Gracefully he held his outstretched hand towards her. She took it and with his strength he had her up and steady in one swift movement. He placed a strong hand on her shoulder and with his help she started to walk. She stumbled and shook as she went down the metal ramp, and her eyes widened at the new setting before her. The room was unimaginably large, with so many people talking and shouting. There floors were a polished white marble with steel plated walls and walkways leading to other parts of the establishment.

Because of observation she failed to notice it became very quiet, she stopped and looked around and realized that EVERYONE was staring at her. By now she was used to the stares, but with this many people it was just humiliating. Many men and women had their mouths open in shock, while others began their whispering. The bad thing was: she could hear each and every one of them.

_What happened to her?_

_Where did she come from?_

She glanced down at the floor as he dragged her along the length of the large floor. When they reached the other side a short balding man opened the door so they could walk through. They ended up in a large hallway, big enough to hold scores of people. The walls were beige colored and the floor a cold white tile. There was no one currently walking down as hew companion pulled her along. There were a few doors, most were closed but others held people talking around tables with screens flickering. As they turned a corner she spotted an open door. Inside she saw a steel operating table with dim lights and she trembled violently. Her pale friend noticed and followed her frightened gaze, when he saw what she was looking at he barked out something. A woman who had been inside the room peeked her head out and furrowed her brow, he said something again and she nodded her head and promptly shut the door. Sure that she was calm, he continued.

Several more confusing halls later, he pulled her into a white walled room with a plush table, a sink and cabinets on the far wall and large mirror next to the door. Her pale friend led her over to the table and hefted her up on it. As she sat, she prodded and poked the fabric on the table. Extremely fascinated she watched as the indentations she made slowly disappeared. A noise from the door made her look up. Three women, dressed casually, entered the room. They nervously glanced at her friend but walked up to her none the less. One woman had a clipboard in her hand, she had brown hair tied in a bun and she wore glasses. She checked her arms, a finger tracing all her scars. They talked among themselves, most likely asking what had been done to her.

Another woman, with long black hair in a braid, looked in her eyes with a strange instrument and a light. She then indicated that she wanted her to open her mouth and the winged one complied. With the light she checked all corners of her mouth and nodded her satisfaction. The last woman was testing her reflexes, using a small plastic hammer looking object she tapped her knee and smiled when she instinctively kicked out.

Then came the large needle. She whimpered when the nice lady with black hair pulled it out and tapped at the liquid inside. The woman looked at her concerned and then to the pale man. She said something to her, and she nodded. In a moment he was by her side, sitting next to her. He grasped her hand and rubbed her arm gently forcing her to look in his eyes. With a gasp, she felt the needle pierce her skin and push the medicine in. Done with their job, the doctors cleaned up and left the two alone.

They sat there in silence, for what she didn't know. But she took this time to grasp his hand and put it to hers once again. She liked his hands, their long slender fingers and smooth pads. She studied the clean nails and perfect cuticles. She was so entranced by his hands she failed to notice a new person walk in. There was cough and her attention was brought around to the female with short black hair. In her arms she held a pile of fabric in her arms. She said something to her companion, and without a word he stood and began to leave the room. Before he shut the door behind him, he gave her one last look.

When the door snapped shut she turned her gaze to the woman who held out her arms, the fabric turned out to be clothes for her. The black haired woman helped her out of her dirty smock and promptly threw it away. She stood unabashed in front of her in all her naked glory; years of being bare in front of the scientist had diminished all of herself dignity so she wasn't ashamed. And it seemed that neither was the female. She gave her undergarments to put on along with a pair of cotton pants that hugged her hips but flared at the ankle. She then handed her a breast band, obviously that had nothing in her size for her ample chest so she slipped it on without complaint. The last article was a white shirt with two think straps. Her shoulders and arms were bare, and her back was open so her wings could move freely.

Dressed she took a timid step forward; to her disappointment her legs were still weak to their disuse. She fell to her knees and which the woman gasped and was next to her in a split second. She grabbed the girl by the arms and hoisted her up. She gave the woman a shy smile as an apology and the woman just gave her a kind look as she led her to the door. This lady was quite nice, she treated her like an equal instead of a poor pitiful creature; all she wanted to do was help.

The woman opened the door and led her out into the hall. Her pale companion was leaning against the wall on the other side of the hallway. He looked up at the sound of the opening door and gave her a quick once over. He seemed satisfied that she was now properly clothed. Her new friends exchanged a few words, but in that moment her stomach decided to protest its lack of food. A loud growl seemed to echo out and she blushed from embarrassment. The female gave a well natured laugh and grinned down at her, the male seemed somewhat amused as well at her stomach's noisy antics. He crossed the hall in a few easy strides and grabbed her hand. Swiftly he pulled her up into the air, she gave a squeak of surprise, and her wings beat furiously as she landed on his back. She locked her arms around his neck as he grabbed her legs. Somewhat surprised, her wings were rigid as she tried to calm her heart, eventually they slowly folded into her back and rested easily as her pale friend began to walk with the black haired woman followed.

There were more halls to travel down, and it seemed that they were becoming busier. A few men in black suits were having a heated discussion and were hardly looking where they were going. Her pale companion easily side stepped them, and they glanced at him as he passed. They did a quick double take when they saw her and stared, which caused the black haired woman to reprimand them. An open door appeared at the end of the next corner, and when they entered she could see that this is where everyone went to eat.

The room was divided into two parts; one half was nothing but food with plates and silverware. The mere sight and smell of all that food made her mouth water and her stomach grumble even more. The other half was filled with tables to sit at; some where even taken at the moment and of course they were receiving stares.

Her pale companion dropped her off at a nearby table and walked off toward the other side of the room to get her something to eat. Meanwhile the black haired woman took it upon herself to sit next to her and touch her chest. At first the winged one thought something was wrong with the woman. Had she hurt her chest? She said something as she tapped herself, but she said it too fast and she wasn't able to catch it. The woman realized this and slowed down as she tapped her chest again.

"Liz." Still confused, the winged one watched her more and she repeated the word again and tapped her chest. A few seconds later understanding dawned on her as she realized that 'Liz' was the woman's name. She smiled as she covered Liz's hand with her own and nodded her newfound knowledge. Liz gave her a beaming smile as her pale friend came back with a plate chock full of fruit. He set the dish in front of her and she went straight for a large red fruit. She observed it carefully and cautiously bit into it. She gave a grunt of surprise as a sweet taste rolled into her mouth and down her throat.

She proceeded to eat the rest of her plate in a few minutes, but her stomach was far from full. She looked expectantly at her two friends who stared back at her in shock. What had she done wrong? Then she realized that maybe they had thought she might not eat the whole plate, for there was a lot on it. She always knew that she had a high metabolism and that's what usually caused her to eat extreme amounts of food. But they weren't angry with her for eating all of it; they weren't expecting her to scarf it down so fast. This time Liz took her plate and went to go get her some more as he pale friend scooted closer. Like Liz he put his hand to his chest and she briefly wondered if she was going to learn his name.

His voice still had that intense pressure to it, as he spoke it commanded all of her attention, "Nuada." She said softly, slowly so she wouldn't miss a single word. Nuada, it was a nice name. Power and strength burned behind its letters, wisdom in each syllable. She nodded at him, showing that she understood him. But he surprised her when he placed a firm hand on her shoulder, her brows furrowed. What was he doing?

"Oriel." He said and he pushed her shoulder lightly. What, Oriel, what did that mean? Confused she furrowed her brows; he said it again and pushed lightly on her chest,

"Oriel."

She looked down at the table, her mind trying to figure it out. Nuada pushed on her shoulders again and repeated the word. Then it hit her, Oriel was her name. She looked up at him in shock and he smiled, he knew she understood what it meant. But she couldn't quite grasp the concept of a new name. For so long she had nothing to refer herself by, she was always 'The Project'. BY no longer calling herself that, she was leaving the Institute behind. Which wasn't a bad thing, she guessed. She tried calling herself Oriel for a few minutes, getting used to the idea of having someone call her that. A new name, a new existence.

Liz came back with two plates this time, each filled with either a vegetable of a fruit. Oriel instantly dug in as Nuada said something to Liz. The black haired woman smiled proudly down at her and nodded with approval. Oriel ate both plates, more slowly this time and by the time she was done with the second she was well satisfied. Liz whisked away her plate and disappeared into a back room, and through the door came a new person.

Oriel gasped, she was tall and blonde and as pale as Nuada. She had gold eyes but hers were not as intense as his, and across her nose was the same exact scar. She had a kind face, and always seemed to wear a smile. She strode up next to Nuada with elegant steps and placed a hand on his shoulder. He seemed much happier with her around, his mouth turning into an extremely small smile in her presence. They looked a lot alike, save for obvious height differences.

She talked quietly to Nuada, who replied calmly his hands indicating to Oriel. The blonde haired woman turned her soft gaze to her and studied her. She shifted nervously under the woman's gaze and was surprised when the woman reached out and indicated she wanted her hands. Oriel glanced at Nuada who nodded his approval and without giving the action much thought grasped it.

* * *

><p>Nuada watched as Oriel took his sisters hands in hers, Nuala turned and touched the smooth pads of her fingers and her palms. She seemed to feel their soft touch and their suppleness,<p>

"Poor girl," she muttered, "So much suffering, so much pain."

"What do you hear sister," Nuada asked; he never really got a handle for reading someone's thoughts. He was more of a warrior than a psychic; he never really bothered to acquire such skills. He supposed since he had so much free time now he could take the time to learn but it seemed like such a hassle.

"She is nervous and frightened, but happy now that she is free. She is glad to have met such nice people willing to help her; she certainly has taken a shine to you brother. She thinks you are most kind for dragging her about when you don't have to. To her, you are a dear friend."

Nuala let go of Oriel's hands and strode around to her back, she ran a gentle finger through her hair and sighed as the tresses flowed between her fingers. His sister sat and began to play with her long white hair, brushing it with her fingers and even beginning to braid it. Liz finally returned,

"I hate to go, but I'm going down to the labs to oversee the decrypting of that Drive Dr. Riley gave us."

Oriel looked up at the familiar name, her eyes saddened and drifted to the floor at the loss of her friend. Nuala gave a soft noise of comfort and rubbed her large white wings soothingly,

"She is in a much better place now," she said slowly, the white haired girl turned a head to her, hearing every word; "She isn't in pain any more. She is happy now that you're safe." She nodded in acceptance and rested her head on her arms. There was silence as they all remembered the sacrifice Rene had made to free Oriel. A brave choice that was made to help a defenseless and lonely girl.

Shaking her head, Liz cleared her throat nervously, "If we find anything, we'll call everyone down."

"Best of luck." Said Nuala kindly, and with one last smile at Oriel she left the mess hall. Nuada watched as his sister once again ran her fingers through Oriel's hair, always gliding through the white locks without a fight.

"Does she talk?" Nuala looked up at him; he leaned back and crossed his arms,

"I have yet to hear her say a word."

"Then perhaps she needs to learn." Nuada nodded slowly, there was also a change she needed to learn how to read and write. So many skills to teach her, skills she should have been taught in the first place.

"I will teach her." He said softly, Nuala looked at him surprised. Her hands stopped briefly on Oriel's hair,

"Brother, you sound so sure. Despite her wings, is she not human?"

"Human or no, she didn't deserve that torture. Vile creatures," spat Nuada hatefully, his fists clenched the fabric of his leggings tightly; "They used her to fuel their own selfish desires, to push limits that were not meant to be tested." His anger raged in his heart, his vision began to blur as his nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed. A small whimper instantly brought him out of his rage.

Oriel stared at him fearfully, wings shuddering violently. Her white eyes were big as she stared at him, as if she was afraid he was going to reach out and strike her. Was she doing it again, was she reading his emotions?

"What is she doing sister?"

Nuala reached for her hand and gently clasped it, after a while she gave her a soft smile, "She's sense's your anger brother, in her mind's eye you glow red with your fury."

"How is that possible, is she Psychic?"

"No brother, not from what I can see. She must be very used to the emotions of others, able to read them well from a young age." Nuala began braiding her hair again, twisting the hair until it sat neatly in a French style braid.

"A useful skill." He muttered, to see another's feelings would help her see what another person's intentions were.

"Very so, but perhaps she can tap into your emotions better because they are so strong."

"What do you mean?"

Nuala tied up her hair and threw it over Oriel's shoulder. She had long since calmed down after Nuada's fury abated and she was more than content to stare at the far wall lazily. His sister was not done however; after she was done with her hair she proceeded to touch the feathers of her wings,

"We are Elves brother, when we feel we do so fully. Our emotions are not a mixed cloud of needless thought and different feelings as they are with humans. When our kind loves, we do not feel confusion or nervousness, we love with our whole heart. Perhaps that is why she can see your anger, or hate, or even happiness better than say Elizabeth's."

"You speak wisely, sister." Commented Nuada, she gave a shrug over her shoulders,

"It is just a theory."

"Regardless, we will know more when the analysts are done."

Nuala nodded and both looked at Oriel, who had fallen asleep. Her even breathing was heard in the silent room before Nuada stood and grabbed the white haired girl by the arm. With effort he managed to sling her on his back,

"Oh here, Agent Manning gave this to me. He said that it was to be given to you for her room." His sister reached into her robes and pulled out a small sheet of paper with a five digit code written on it. He took it and nodded his tanks and left the mess hall to look for Oriels room.

As it turned out, she shared the same hall as him. So if she needed anything all she had to do was find him. He reminded himself to show her where he resided; he quickly punched in the code on a small keypad next to a door with the number 21 above it. It hissed open and he stepped in, the room was lifeless, with beige walls and red carpeting. There were no decorations but Nuada figured that it would change as time passed.

Nuada strode up to the bed on the far side of the room and debated whether or not he should lie her on her back. He chose a safer route and placed her on her stomach, so her wings wouldn't become crushed under her weight, as meager as it was. She sighed as she snuggled deeper into the plush pillow, and Nuada gave a small smile. He was shocked out of his daze when a voice cackled out of his communicator.

"All agents who participated in the raid of the Institute please proceed down to Examination Room 34C. All agents who participated in the raid of the Institute please proceed to Examination Room 34C."

Nuada made sure she was comfortable and covered before he turned to leave; he nearly jumped when Nuala was standing calmly behind him. In her arms she held an extensive book of poetry she had received from Abraham.

"I will stay and watch over her." She said softly and he bowed his head in consent. He stepped aside to let Nuala pass and stepped out into the hallway. The door hissed shut as Nuada made his way to the nearest set of stairs so he could walk down to the lower levels.

_A/N: I hope it was okay, I have only vague view of how it looks. Reviews help me with that problem, tell me what you guys think of it, or seriously I'm gonna put a review limit on it. I'm not exactly the best when it comes to reviews but I try to let a good author know how to improve, it's a learning experience guys and I can't learn anything if you don't help me._

_Anyway rant aside; I'm trying to build something up working towards a romance, or hopefully something like that. Usually people just cut straight to the whole "OMG I love you" part, and frankly the prince is nothing like that. At this point in the story, he doesn't love he just sees her as something he needs to guide and protect._

_She also doesn't love him either, he is her rescuer and she sees him as a very good friend because of his help. Romance buds much later in the story._

_So let me know what you guys think, I love your reviews and please for the love of god flame away. I know I have a problem with grammar and word variation but I don't know what else._

_Cya guys!_

_2thestarsandabove_


	5. The Terrors of Her Life

Angel  
>Chapter 5<br>The Terrors of her Life

The room was longer than it was wider, perhaps 10 by 15 meters. A large table sat in the middle of the room with chairs around it. At the front of the room was a large projector screen and at the rear was the door. The walls were a blue tinged color and along with the floor, the lights were dimmed as Liz went through her notes at the table head. Nuada was the first to arrive and he took his usual spot by wall near the door. One by one, the agents who had participated in the raid filled the room, taking vacant chairs as they waited for the rest of the crew to arrive. Red came in with one of his twins on his hip, he gave his wife a sheepish look as she glared at him.

"Sorry babe, she'd throw a fit every time I put her down and I wasn't about to leave her alone with one of the newbie agents, she'd set him on fire." Nuada knew exactly was Hellboy was referring to, he thought back with amusement to when he had walked in on one of the little girl's famous temper tantrums. The red little girl was screaming at the top of her lungs as he had walked into the mess hall, even worse she had set an entire table on fire in her rage.

Both children looked very much like their father, as they had the same red hue to their skin and each sported a long tail. However, Hellboy's son, Hellboy Jr, shared his mother's looks and his father's easy going attitude. He barely cried and when he did it was usually because he had hurt himself severely. The girl, however, was a completely different story. Arianna looked like her father and raged like her mother, with the same exact Firestarter ability as well.

Liz just gave an irritated sigh as Red sat in one of the chairs and tried to entertain Arianna. The child giggled insanely as her father bounced her on his knee and retained her attention with any noise he could think of.

Soon the room was full, all seats were taken and many had to stand as the room became dark. The voices hushed as Liz took the front and started the presentation.

"We managed analyze a great deal of the files on the Drive given to us by Dr. Riley. The first few entries were documents on what the project was; it turns out that The Institute was hired by the Russian Military to create Artificial Angels."

Images on the projector flicker to life, showing excerpts of the documents Liz had mentioned. One was an official order by the Russian Military, another was nothing but guess work as the scientists tried to figure out how to construct an Angel.

"They did a great expanse of research for the first three years of the Project, finding potential DNA donors across the world. As it turns out, they found individuals who could use holy power. Two gave their sperm and eggs and with selected portions of Bird DNA they managed to create the first strain of Angel. During embryo growth many of the first unborn children died, or where stillborn when development was done. Our subject, however, managed to survive past birth and became the first of her kind."

The picture of an infant Oriel popped onto the screen. Her face was calm and placid as she slept; white tufts of hair covered her head and her fingers were curled into the blanket she was wrapped in and on her back was her wings. They were at least two times bigger than her, and she was extremely tiny.

"Reports tell us that she is much older than she appears however. Looking no older than eighteen, she has been at the mercy of The Institute for more than 50 years."

"Wait," barked out Hellboy, "How is it we never knew about her before?"

"Because no one had a heart like Dr. Riley. The only reason she escaped was because Dr. Riley knew that what was happening was wrong."

Nuada's fists clenched at his sides, anger coursing through his veins. His hate for humans renewed with a fury like he had never felt before. For more than fifty years she had been a prisoner, for fifty years she had been tortured. But for fifty years she had survived, she had suffered through hardships that would have killed any other person. Knowing that she had endured all of that torment made Nuada proud, such things would have broken any warrior, killed any human, and shattered any dignity. She had lived.

"Shortly after she was born," continued Liz flipping through some more report excerpts, "she grew at an unprecedented rate. Within five months she was the height and weight of a two year old. By the time she reached one she looked like she was five. At three years old she hit puberty, and two years later their real experiments began."

Documents turned to grisly photos, several pictures adorned the screen. Pictures of Oriel lying on a steel table, with her stomach cut wide open. Someone in the room gagged, another person turned away from the dark images on the screen. Several people had turned green.

"They found that she could heal small cuts and bruises, they beat her constantly to test her healing factor but found she could not heal large wounds and broken bones."

The next set revealed an unconscious Oriel, lying on the ground with blood coming out of her mouth and black eye and bruised arms and legs. And due to her lack of clothes in the photograph, he could see that she had a broken rib as well/ Nuada forced himself to watch the horrors that had been her life as the pictures flicked by, each more gruesome than the last.

"The scientists also documented video footage of many of their attempts to get her to fly. Everyone down in the labs debated on whether or not we should show this, but we all agreed it needs to be seen. If anyone believes they can't handle any more, please leave the room now." Two men got up from their chairs, faces taut and grim. They looked as if they were going to be sick, as one passed by Red and he held his arms out for Arianna. Hellboy gave the little girl over, who fussed for a minute, but decided she liked her new companion better.

When all agents who wanted to leave were finally gone, Liz went to the next screen. The camera was being held by an unknown person standing on one of the walkways in The Institute. They were near a railing as the camera pointed in the direction of a dark corridor,

"Is it on?" Came a muffled voice, in a thick Russian accent.

"Yes, doctor." Said a man's voice,

"Good, proceed test flight one."

From the darkness three men came out trying to hold onto a pale body. Nuada could hear the familiar whimpers and cries of Oriel. She struggled against her captors, wrenching her arms and legs about as they brought her closer and closer to the walkway edge. There was a pit growing in his stomach as Nuada watched more, he had an idea of where this was going and none of it was going to end well. When they got to the railing Oriel fought with renewed strength, it seemed she knew what they were trying to do and was doing her best to get away. For a mere moment, the scientists lost their grip on her but before she could escape they grabbed her and, without mercy, threw her over.

The camera followed her body and all watched in horror as she managed to stay airborne for a second then plunged to the floor below. Nuada inwardly flinched as he heard her body hit the concrete with a sickening thud. Her screams sliced the air of the video as the Camera ran to the balcony and looked over. Oriel lay on the floor, blood pooling around her body, as every limbs on her body awkwardly pointed in all directions. Then everything went black.

"You may leave if you want to." The firestarter said softly and more than half of the human agents got up out of their seats and left in a rush. As the door closed behind them, the room was nothing but the most hardened men, Hellboy, Abe, Dr. Krauss, Manning, and Nuada. "There is one more video," Liz warned, he eyes traveling over the last of the group, "And it will explain her fear of Red."

The screen went to the next page and another video started up. This time the camera was an aerial view of the floor below. Something big and grotesque was lumbering below in circles, growling and hissing in irritation. Because of the angle of the camera, Nuada could not see what the beast was, but it was not friendly. It froze as the sound of a door opening caught its attention. A light appeared off screen and the sounds of someone being pushed in managed to reach the microphone of the device.

Everyone in the room paled, Oriel was in there with whatever that fiend was. Nuada watched in shock as the beast gave a loud roar and sprinted toward the light, the door slammed shut quickly and Oriel screeched in terror. She must have managed to dodge the creature as she ran across camera's view with it close on her heels. It chased her in circles and back and forth across the room, shrieks always heard. Suddenly the creature jumped and caught Oriel in its massive Maw. This time screams of terror turned to pain as the creature began to shake and rip at her arm. It let go for a second before it snapped and clenched her body between its teeth. Blood began to pour over the floor as the creature shook her like rag doll, and before they could all see more Liz turned the video off.

As the lights brightened the room was quiet. What could be said? There were no words to describe the horrors they had just watched. After minutes of nothing but silence Liz cleared her throat,

"We'll let you know if we find anything more."

All was quiet as the rest of the team left the Examination room. Nuada walked down the hallway, but then stopped and turned. His was so infuriated, so angry by what he had just seen. He needed to hit something, to let this rage go. Suddenly his left fist flew out and hit the wall next to him and pain darted up his hand as he felt one of bit fingers crack.

"Hey," Hellboy came up next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, "I'm pissed too you know."

Nuada's breathing was heavy as he stared at the wall, "You preach of the goodness in their kind," he muttered angrily, "But how can you defend them when they torture their own species?" He threw an angry finger to the room he had just been in; Red leaned against the wall as Nuada rubbed his sore hand.

"I'm not saying all of em' are good," he explained, he reached into his pocket and procured a large cigar. He lit it up and began to puff on it thoughtfully as Nuada leaned on the wall with him, "But are you really gonna let a bunch of assholes ruin the rest of us? If they're that bad, why did Riley call us in? Why did she sacrifice her life to save that girl? Is Riley just like them?"

Nuada frowned, "No." Red gave the prince a light punch in the arm,

"That's what we've been trying to tell you all along. Yeah, there are bad ones but there just as many good ones, you don't have to like em' all. Just the ones that matter." With a final pat on the shoulder Hellboy walked off down the hall, leaving the prince to stew in his own thoughts. He knew that the demon was right; it didn't mean he had to agree with them.

With a sigh Nuada flexed his fingers and cursed loudly, he was beginning to reprimand himself. He had let his anger get the best of him, something that rarely ever happened anymore. He was far too old to let his temper make him act like some untried youth. He examined the knuckles and deduced that he might have sprained or fractured one his fingers. He cursed again as he realized that Nuala would feel the repercussions of his outburst.

With an irritated sigh he turned and stalked off towards the stairs, he needed to bind his fingers so they would heal better. Then he would bind Nuala's as well and, as he began to realize it, he needed sleep. His eyes were heavy as he climbed the stairs and came into the living quarters, he took a left and four doors down he punched in the code to his door. It hissed open and he went straight to his bed and reached under.

The medkit he pulled out contained salves and poultices and several linen wraps. He grabbed a soothing salve and proceeded to dress his injured hand. When he secured the end, he grabbed another roll and left towards Oriel's room. When he stepped in Nuala was as he left her, she sat on the edge of the bed with her knees pulled to the side as she read. She cradled her left hand and Nuada felt his guilt.

He strode over to her and gingerly took her wrist and bound it tightly, if it were not for his excellent hearing he would have not heard his sister, "You are angry brother."

He snorted as he finished and stretched, "For good reason."

"Because of their cruelty?"

Nuada gave an erratic wave of his uninjured hand, "Nuala you did not see what they did to her," he argued softly, "You did not see what terrors she had to survive. They-"

"They are human brother; they are a young and naïve race. Like small children they must learn from their mistakes, we're any of us so different when we were naught but small ones? I clearly remember you putting color changing poultices in the Baroness's wine on that Midsummers eve party."

"Yes, and I paid dearly for it." Nuada shuddered as he remember the beating he had gotten,

"Yes, but you learned not to make such mischief," Nuada smiled, "Let the human's make their mistakes brother, and if all is lost to them, we can rebuild what they have destroyed. For now, our kind must bide our time preserving the last races, to keep them safe until they are needed again."

"I understand sister."

Nuala smiled at him, she rubbed his arm reassuringly, "Now go, I will watch over our new guest tonight."

"Her name is Oriel." Interjected Nuada, his sister rolled her eyes in exasperation,

"Then I will watch over Oriel, you are tired and need your rest."

"As you wish mother."

Nuala said nothing as she returned to her book. Nuada turned to leave and before he stepped into the hallway he looked back. Oriel snored softly, her face peaceful. Tonight, he hoped that he dreams would be free from the nightmares that had plagued her for fifty years.

_A/N: You like? If so tell me, and if you have any suggestions feel free to drop me a line. Not as long as the other's but it does give a bit of background, I hope you guys like and I'll come out with another as soon as I can._

_2thestarsandabove_


	6. Baby Steps

Angel  
>Chapter 6<br>Baby steps

When Oriel woke the next morning she felt better than she had in a long time. For once no was kicking her or yelling at her to get up. No one was dragging her out of her cell, and no one was cutting her open. For the first time, she finally knew what safety was. So reluctant was she to leave her bed, to leave the softness of a pillow, to leave the warmth of her blanket. She felt she could stay here forever… But she needed to pee, and bad.

Oriel opened her eyes slowly; the room she was in was light brightly. It was quiet bland looking and somewhat big. The bed she lay in seemed to sit at the opposite of the door. Next to the bed was a small table with some device with numbers on it. She shifted slightly so she could better look around but there was hardly anything to see. Yawning, she unhurriedly sat up and the blanket fell away from her body. She rubbed her eyes and scanned around some more; she nearly jumped when she saw the blonde woman from the night before sitting on her bed reading calmly.

At Oriel's movement she looked up and smiled at the winged woman. She nodded her head in acknowledgement and closed her book. Still sitting, the woman grabbed her hand and cradled it in hers, for a moment all was silent until the woman nodded her head and pointed to a door across from the bed. Oriel hesitated, but threw back the covers anyway. She needed, no; she wanted to learn how to walk by herself. She wanted to gain back something she had lost, what it was she still had yet to figure out. When Nuada carried her about, it made her feel like a burden. She didn't want to feel like a burden to her new friend.

Determined, Oriel planted her feet on the ground and pushed herself up. The woman gasped and started towards her as she swayed dangerously. She managed to steady herself seconds later and, with the aid of the bed, she started towards the door. She clutched to the edges of the sheets and footboard but that was as far as she had gotten. It seemed like the space between her and the door widened until it felt like she was crossing a chasm. Swallowing nervously she took a step forward and let go of the bed.

With each small step she tilted and wobbled but she refused to fall like she had done in the past. Each footfall became stronger than the last until ultimately she tumbled into the door. She gave a laugh as she turned the knob and entered the smaller room. She recognized it as a bathroom, brief memories rushed to the surface of her mind. Before all of her experiments she had lived in a small room with a bathroom just like this. These memories were of times she had long forgotten in her pain and misery; they were of times where she had hope of who she was.

Oriel finished her needs and reopened the door and frowned at the thought of crossing the room again. She was glad she did it the first time, but she really didn't want to do it again. The blonde haired woman seemed to understand and got off the bed and glided toward her. She took her arm and led her back to the bed. The winged woman bounced on it happily, she had just woken up and had accomplished so much.

The other woman sat with her and Oriel watched her with interest. She wanted to know her name, and why she looked so much like Nuada. Was it possible they were related? It would explain how to two shared the same looks. Her blonde hair hung over her shoulder as she brought her hand to her chest; Oriel wiggled with excitement, a grin seemed to form on her face.

"Nuala." She said softly, her voice and calm. Like a breeze passing by on a warm day. It filled her heart with sublime happiness as she heard the voice of the woman named Nuala. Oriel nodded eagerly and the woman gave a small laugh at her enthusiasm. Then a low grumbling sounded from the winged woman's stomach. It was silent as it protested its lack of food again, and again, and again. Nuala's laugh became greater as she stood and offered Oriel her arm. She debated on whether or not she wanted it, but she didn't to fall and make a fool of herself in front of everyone so she took it.

The walk was agonizingly slow all the way down to the eating area, but Nuala was good company despite their leisurely pace. This woman seemed to give off a calming presence, her posture and looks told everyone around her that she was a friend, someone to be trusted. She was taller than Oriel, but not as tall as Nuada, who dwarfed her by several inches. She too was pale, and had the same nose scar. Her eyes were a beautiful sparkling yellow while Nuada's was a dark and more intense version of hers. She was dainty; he was muscled and well built. Despite being alike in looks, their personalities were complete and utter opposites.

Oriel had spent so much time observing Nuala she had failed to notice that they had arrived at their intended destination. The tantalizing smell of food sent her senses wild, her mouth watered and her stomach grumbled with a vengeance.

As they walked into the room, Oriel realized that it was full of people talking and laughing with each other. She felt herself get red in the face; she really didn't more people staring at her. There was a reassuring squeeze on her arm as Nuala led her to a nearby table with Liz, the demon, and the man with blue skin and weird eyes. They all nodded towards her as her new friend set her down at the bench and went to the food line.

Oriel sat on the bench patiently, swinging her legs back and forth as she watched the crowd. The buzz of talk dimmed and rose, depending on who was speaking. Loud men in the corner of the room made up most of the noise and the men towards the door preferred to keep to themselves. To her right a noise caught her attention and she turned and looked with surprise at a small child resting in the lap of the demon. She gaped in shock at the red hue of her skin, and the tail swinging wildly around as the little girl stared at Oriel.

They regarded each other with curiosity, the little girl looked no older than three and had long black hair tied up in a ponytail. She wore a small sundress and her thumb was constantly in her mouth. Her big browns eyes never left the icy blue ones of the winged woman. They stared for minutes on end until the little girl burst out laughing. With a high pitched giggle she clambered over the arm of the demon, who tried to catch her, and scrambled over to Oriel. In seconds she had made a spot for herself in the woman's lap, tugging at her clothes and hair. She cooed and laughed more as she entertained herself, and despite the obvious fact that this girl was the demon's child, Oriel felt herself smile.

Gently she bounced the girl on her knee, who burst into a fit of happy squeals as she clung the leg of her brand new friend. They stayed like so for a while, Oriel happily amused the little girl and, as it turned out, her twin brother when he stumbled up to her. He was such a sweet boy; he had big innocent brown eyes and a head full of black hair. Like his sister, he had his thumb in his mouth but his seemed more out of imitation than comfort.

Oriel was so content playing with the twins she hardly noticed Liz coming over to sit next to her. The children gave a screech of delight and scrambled over to her, and Oriel could see the similarities. Then Liz must have been their mother, by the way she cuddled them and the way they clung to her. She seemed brighter with her kids around and she laughed when they suddenly left her and climbed over Oriel again. They played a perpetual game of back and forth between the two women until Nuala returned with food for Oriel.

She set down a plate of small pink and red fruit, a large red one, and something that looked like a melon half. The winged woman happily dug in and offered the children something every so often; they eagerly took their pieces and tossed it into their mouths, munching happily. Liz watched carefully, to make sure her children did not cause trouble, but they were extremely well behaved. Nuala sat on the other side of Oriel, picking on pieces of fruit off her own plate.

Three and a half plates later, Oriel was full. The children were sitting in her lap, clinging to her shirt contentedly; thumbs in their mouths as they watched the activity slowly lessen. Finally Liz stood up and motioned for one of her children, the boy immediately reached for her and the black haired woman picked him up. He cuddled his face in her shoulder as the Demon cautiously walked up to Oriel. The winged woman watched him from the corner of her eye, body tense. Her heart started to beat faster and every instinct in her body told her to run. Slowly he extended his arms for the little girl and she clambered into his hold instantly. She grabbed his head and brought it down to her face and the two proceeded to touch noses and giggle.

The demon was the father then, concluded Oriel. He was tame, he was the father of the twins and he was in a relationship with Liz. Everyone in this place seemed to be unwary of him; they trusted him and considered him a friend. That didn't mean Oriel had to, she wasn't ready to trust this demon yet. Not after so many years of living near the other one. This fear was too ingrained into her body and soul to let it go so easily. But, she told herself, with time she could too learn to trust and befriend this creature. Just not yet.

The Demon and Liz smiled at each other and nodded their heads toward her and Nuala. With the twins in their arms they left the room, passing Nuada as he came in. He instantly spotted the two and strode over to them,

"Brother." Greeted Nuala, so then they were siblings. Nuada bowed his head to his sister and then to Oriel. She returned the gesture with a smile. He asked Nuala a question in a low voice, and she shook her head. He gave her a thoughtful look then turned to Oriel, who was happily swinging her legs on the bench. He outstretched his hand to her, but she refused and shakily stood on her own.

* * *

><p>Nuada watched as she steadied her balance and gave them a wide grin at her accomplishment. He had to say he was impressed, he figured she would be dependent on him for a while, but to see her try and do things on her own was incredible. Her rate of recovery was rapid; if she went on like she was she would be walking by the end of the week. If she kept eating like she was, most of her original weight would be back.<p>

Oriel took a shaky step toward him and almost jumped when her knee buckled under her. She caught herself and stood straight again, her face set with determination. He forced himself to stay still, she wanted to do this on her own, and he could not coddle her like a child if she was to learn anything. She took each step with caution, testing her limits until finally she stumbled into him. She looked up at him searching for his approval, he nodded in congratulations and her happiness radiated off her in waves.

"What should we do today?" Asked Nuala as she joined them, Oriel was basking in her own accomplishment as she looked between the two,

"The Library perhaps, she is not one to sit around and do nothing. She will want something to bide her time."

"Then she will like the library, the walk will strengthen her and the books will give her something to look at."

Nuada nodded his agreement, and turned to the door. Oriel gave him a strange look and he motioned for her to follow them. She nodded and the three set off at a leisurely pace. Oriel always had a hand on the wall of the hallway, using it to keep her balance as Nuada led the way. They kept the walk easy in case she got tired, but her willpower kept her going. The rounded a corner to a large gold door that led to the Library, Oriel gasped at the sight and pushed herself off the wall. She staggered up to the door and touched it with light fingers as she observed every design in the door.

Nuada and Nuala stood patiently until she finished, they watched as she put a hand on the door her face confused, like she was trying to remember something. With a hard push the door swung open under her hand and she gave a breathless look around the room. Nuada could see she recognized books, the tomes sat patiently on their shelves waiting to be read as she walked in. Her wings quivered with excitement as she kept turning, her eyes wide with wonder.

On a nearby table sat a thick blue book, Oriel wandered up to it and flipped it open. Her fingers skimmed the pages; her face looked set as she stared at the words. She looked like she was trying to concentrate on reading what was written, the pages flew by until she gave an irritated growl and closed the book. Nuada gave her smile and strode to her side; he bent down as he opened the first page,

"It takes practice Oriel," He said gently, "Do not frustrate yourself."

She gave him a pitiful look, but nodded nonetheless. He tousled her hair and she pushed him away playfully. He knew that she understood, she wasn't stupid or ignorant like a child, she had learned all these skills at one point. But fifty years of torture had hidden them from her, with a push in the right direction she could regain everything she had lost.

_A/N: So what do you think, I worked a long time with the scene between the twins and Oriel and by the time I was done even I was going "Aww"_

_I posted on my profile a poll for this story, what should be Oriel's theme song? The choices are:_

"_Tango to Evora" By Loreena McKennit  
>"Tea House Moon" By Enya<br>"Human" By The Killers  
>"The Mystics Dream" by Loreena McKennit<em>

_So give the songs a listen to and vote in my poll. I eagerly await your answers._

_So read Review and flame away_

_2thestarsandabove_


	7. Emergency

Angel  
>Chapter 7<br>Emergency

Oriel sat in the library with Nuada hovering nearby, in front of her was a piece of paper and a pencil. More than a month had passed since she had arrived at her new home. Nuada had explained to her that it was called the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense, or the BPRD for short. It was a place where humans worked together to keep human kind safe from creatures that shouldn't exist, like demons, and trolls, and many other beings. Nuada explained that he too worked for the BPRD, along with Liz, and the blue skinned man (Abraham or Abe as she finally learned) and the demon as well (Who was aptly named Hellboy or Red).

It was here at the BPRD where she had regained most of her former strength. She found that it was less strenuous to walk around, though it was still hard for her to run. She still ate obscene amounts of food, to which Liz deduced she had an extremely high metabolism. And now that she was around other people more often she was picking up and listening to conversations much better. All of them had yet to hear her say a word, but Nuada knew that it would come with time.

He watched as Oriel once again grabbed the pencil and put it to the paper, for the past hour and a half she had been trying to relearn how to write. Part of her seemed to remember that all of this was basic skills, and some of it she caught on quickly to. But when it came to sentences or longer words, she got frustrated and threw down the pencil. He saw her swallow as she tried to write down what she was feeling, an exercise Nuada had thought of. Every day he would sit her down and try to get her to write what she was feeling. She would stare at the paper for a few minutes, pick up the pencil, touch it to the paper, hold it up, and put it down again.

He wanted to know what was holding her back; perhaps it was years of isolation? Everything must have been bottled up for too long and now that she was trying to get it out it was refusing to flow properly. Oriel gave a growl and threw down the pencil in anger; she huffed and crossed her arms as she glared at the paper. Nuada smirked at her child like antics and decided that was enough anger for her today. He whisked away the paper and pencil and she gave a happy sigh. She jumped up into the chair and hopped on the back and leaped off. The chair groaned in protest as Oriel's heavy wings beat furiously, Nuada watched as they managed to slow down her short fall.

She wasn't trying to fly, habits like that were instinct. She used her wings to break and slow falls, but she couldn't get airborne. He didn't know if she wasn't trying hard enough or if her wings refused to work together; or perhaps it was both? She landed in a crouching position, her legs taking in the shock of the landing. Within a moment she was standing up and walking towards the door, before she stepped through she looked back to check if leaving was ok with Nuada. He nodded at her, and she gave him a wave goodbye and left.

She was extremely independent, but always stayed within the vicinity of one of her friends. If Nuada wasn't nearby she was usually with Nuala, Liz, or Abraham. She spent her afternoons exploring the BPRD, familiarizing herself with the hallways, and getting herself into trouble. Which was something she seemed to do a lot. She poked her nose in places where she wasn't supposed to be, she touched objects that weren't meant to be handled and more than once he had to scold her. It was like taking care of a mature young child, which was an oxymoron in itself. Her maturity showed in certain situations, like when she was playing with Hellboy Jr. and Arianna. But when her curiosity got the best of her it was usually when she got in trouble.

Some antics were amusing; Oriel found that doors were fun to hide behind when she was entertaining the twins. Perpetual games of hide and seek were played within the BPRD headquarters, and even the tables in the mess hall were used as hiding places. With Liz as a referee, Nuada had come into the Mess Area to see Oriel dive underneath the table giggling madly. Arianna ran into the room and looked around while Liz and Jr. walked in hand in hand. The little girl was about to turn around until she spotted Oriel under the table. The child squealed wildly as she ran up to the table and comically looked under.

"Found you!" She screeched, and Oriel shot out and ran off to find a new place to hide with the little girl close behind.

Then there was the time she got lost, everyone had spent the entire afternoon trying to find her until one of the human agents spotted her on the sector eight cameras. She had wandered down the main hallway and took a confusing turn, and ended up absolutely lost. She looked terrified as Nuada turned the corner and as soon as she saw him she jumped him. She clung to him in shock as he tried to calm her down, her wings shuddering. After that they had given her a silver bracelet with a tracking chip embedded in it. They told her never to take it off in case she got lost again.

Nuada cleaned up the library and left the room closing the door behind him. Oriel had most likely gone off to find Liz or Nuala, her two favorite people in the world. Liz let her play with the twins and Nuala was a person anyone could like. He figured since one of the two women was busy with Oriel he could try and train again, he had been so preoccupied with Oriel he had neglected to practice lately.

* * *

><p>Oriel skipped down the main hall towards the Mess Area. It was early afternoon so Liz had most likely put the twins down for a nap, Red was off who knew where, and Nuala was spending her day with Abe. She decided to go eat to occupy her time; she thought that perhaps someone would be free by the time she was done. She turned the corner to the open door and was greeted by several men who waved called out hello to her. She waved enthusiastically back. She hopped up to the lunch line and grabbed her usual plate of fruits and vegetables.<p>

Liz had tried to get her to eat meat, and Oriel had given it a go but it didn't end so well. For the rest of the day her stomach had churned and twisted, giving her a sick feeling. Finally, that night, she threw up what she ate. After that Nuada said she wasn't allowed to have meat again and Oriel was more than happy to agree. So she stuck to her vegetarian diet, while Liz provided her with protein pills to make up for her lack of nutrition.

When she finally got her food, she went up and sat at her normal table. Lunch turned out to be quite nice, especially when she got a nice friend to eat with. As it turned out, there was a large bulky man here by the name of Tex, or so he called himself. He wore strange hats; he called Cowboy hats, and had a strange accent. He said it was a good old boy southern accent; he went on to explain to her that the people in the north talked odd. They cut off their words like they were chewing on them when they should have been holding those letters out nice and long. Tex was big and very tall, he had a square face and a warm smile and he always seemed to smell of wood smoke and leather.

Today, Tex was wore his trademark black cowboy hat with a blue flannel shirt and faded blue jeans. He had been talking to a couple of his friends across the Mess Hall when Oriel had set her tray down. He noticed her out of the corner of his eye and turned to her and smiled. She returned the friendly gesture with a wave, and was surprised when he said goodbye to his friends and sat down next her.

"Well hello darlin'" he greeted with a tip of his hat, his face was covered in black stubble, and his brown eyes twinkled at her as she grinned at him. His cheery presence started to rub off on her as she ate her meal and the whole time Tex just talked.

"Seems like only yesterday since ya came here, but yer adjustin well enough. Still can't believe that whole fiasco with that meat. But everyone's gotta different stomach I suppose. Now me, I've gotta have my pork n' beans."

When Oriel was finished, Tex took away her tray. Everyone seemed to do that, she didn't know if it's because she usually looked helpless or if they were just being nice. She pushed back from the table and started toward the door, and within a few strides the burly gentleman was back at her side. Oriel listened as he rambled on, not really paying attention to what was said, but she nodded when it seemed like the right time. They walked as Tex talked all the way back to the library, as they neared the door he gave a grin and turned to her.

"So how ya liken the book I gave ya?"

Oriel nodded excitedly at him, a week or so before Tex had given her a novel he thought she might like. She had turned it over front to back and studied the design. The title read "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." She seemed a little skeptical of it at first, but right from page one she had been hooked. She had finished the book that night, and when she handed it to Tex that morning he laughed. He applauded her reading ability and went and bought her the second one.

She had finished "The Chamber of secrets" a few days ago and was now in the middle of "The Prisoner of Azkaban." She completely enjoyed the spellbinding books, the clever words and the pace was just perfect. Tex gave a rumbling laugh and tousled her hair,

"Well I'm glad ya like it."

He pushed open the door and both he and Oriel froze at the sight that greeted them. In the middle of the large room was a very shirtless Nuada; his back was facing the door and she could see the sheen of sweat covering his body. In his hands he held an oddly shaped sword; it had a green handle and a shiny silver blade. She and Tex watched silently as Nuada spun the sword easily in his hand, his body tense with concentration. With a quick and subtle movement, Nuada swung the blade across the empty space in front of him. With a swift spin, he brought his arm up above his head and, using his entire weight, thrust the sword down toward the ground.

He stopped; his body rigid. With precision he swung his blade between his hands until it lengthened into a deadly spear. He flourished his weapon expertly, swinging it about his head as he dipped back to avoid hitting himself. Oriel and Tex quietly inched into the room as Nuada went about his exercises; they sat at a nearby table careful not to disturb Nuada as he continued to practice. Oriel observed with obvious fascination, she studied how every muscle in his body moved and flowed with the strain of the heavy weapon in his hands, she noticed his evident expertise with fighting. His body was toned, agile, and built for quick kills and as she saw more she could see he could hold his own in a lengthy fight.

After minutes of just watching him, he finally rested his spear behind his back, the blade pointing toward the floor. Slowly it shortened back into a sword and he placed it on his shoulder. Oriel noticed he was barely breathing, as if the effort had been nothing to him. Then he glanced back, he looked mildly surprised at the audience he had somehow attracted but seemed nonchalant about. The white haired woman heard Tex give a low whistle,

"What I'd give to have some flashy moves like that," he said as grinned at her, "But I prefer my trusty 50 Caliber over a sword any day."

Nuada said nothing as he retrieved his shirt hanging on a nearby chair. He was about to put it on when the lights started to flash red and an alarm went off. Oriel covered her ears at the new sound, as Tex and Nuada looked up. Her friend gave a sigh as he pushed himself out of the chair,

"Gotta go Darlin," he patted her on the head as he passed behind her. He gave her a wave goodbye and left through the gold doors. Nuada, now fully clothed, proceeded to follow him out when Oriel jumped out of her chair and grabbed his arm. He looked down at her startled but saw her questioning gaze. He placed a soothing hand on her head and smirked at her,

"The alarm tells us that there is a creature causing trouble for the humans," he explained as he guided her out the doors, "The BPRD sends out its agents to eliminate the problem." She nodded in understanding and was about to follow him down a set of stairs when he stopped her. He gave her a stern look and she shrank back from it, she had seen that gaze more than once, "You're not allowed down here," He said firmly, "Find Nuala and stay out of trouble, I will be back soon."

Oriel nodded as he descended the stairs, when his figure disappeared she turned on her heel and began to prowl the establishment for Nuala.

* * *

><p>Nuada exited the stair well after three flights, the red light was still going off which indicated that he needed to be at the Transport Terminal. The alarms were only used when emergency situations arose, which seemed to be one of those days. He entered the large terminal and spotted his team on the other side; as he strode up all of them were hustled into their iconic garbage truck. Nuada sat nearest to the door while Hellboy went about checking his equipment and Liz was talking heatedly with Todd.<p>

They spent several minutes waiting for more agents to get on, Nuada was silent. There was no need for petty talk; it wasn't like he was going to start a debate with Red or argue about "Last Night's Game", whatever the term meant. As time slowly ticked by, they finally managed to get the rest of the SUV's loaded and the truck was packed and they were soon pulling out of the headquarters.

All turned their attention as Manning stood up front,

"A security alarm was tripped in Worthington Manor just east of New York City. Mr. Worthington was a well-known CEO of a Technology company-"

"What do you mean by was?" interjected Hellboy, several agents shifted nervously. Manning gave him a dark look as he shuffled through some papers he had left on his seat,

"I was getting to that, now as I said he was in charge of a Tech company and very respected in the scientific community. Not an hour ago his bedroom alarm was tripped and his live in security went to see what the situation was. Fifteen minutes later the alarm was still going off, that's when local police arrived on the scene; this is the tape we received."

Lights dimmed as a video flickered to life on the screen behind manning. Several people were running on screen and voices could be heard off screen, "Clear!" someone shouted, methodically they searched the house until they came to an ornate door. The kicked it open and were barely inside when someone started to scream. There was a flurry of voices as the camera blurred and suddenly it hit the floor. A pair of feet walked into the frame, stopped and kicked the camera. The screen went black.

As the lights came back on Manning turned to the rest of them, "Does anyone see anything that doesn't seem right?"

"The feet," commented Nuada, "There's something not "human" about them." Manning nodded,

"Whatever occurred at Worthington Manor was paranormal, all local police cameras have sensor chip that will automatically contact us if there's a problem and it seems like this is a big one. We're going in with caution, we find out what happened, and if there's conflict nobody plays hero."

Everyone mumbled in agreement as the long drive wove around the busy highways. There was a tense silence they closer they got to Worthington Manor, Nuada could taste the anxiety in the air. They were all apprehensive of what they would find within the expensive home, the video they had seen was violent and sudden. There was no doubt that whatever had been there killed everyone that had been in the house.

The truck turned suddenly and started up a steep hill to an ominous manor atop it. Though hardly anyone else could see it, Nuada noticed a deep and intense mist that seemed to surround the house. He instantly knew it was a Demon Shroud; it was a type of poison that seeped into the physical body and darkened the mind. In a better sense, this was what caused human's to hear voices or think unlikely thoughts of murder or suicide.

"Look," Nuada jutted his head toward the window and Hellboy was at his side in a second.

"Damn." He muttered and turned to the crowd, "We've got a Demon Shroud!" Several agents heaved a sigh of relief; it meant that they couldn't go in. Other supernatural creatures seemed to have an increased immunity to the Shroud. Abraham could resist it for two hours at best, Hellboy was just naturally immune and Nuada had a stronger body and will power than anyone else. He could easily resist the temptations that would try to invade his mind.

Manning began to give orders, Red, Abraham and Nuada would be the only three going in. They would have a better advantage despite the group size. Red loaded up his revolver and shot gun while Abraham brought several books on demonology, and all the former prince needed was his spear. The truck screeched to a halt outside the front doors and the back of their vehicle hissed open. The trio hopped out and proceeded to the eerie open front door. The hinges were broken as they walked in; it had been obviously kicked in. The foyer as empty and the air around them was cold, mist poured from every open door and hall they could see.

They scanned around for any signs of life and finding none they worked their way upstairs. Nuada could feel a shiver start to run down his spine; whatever was here knew they had arrived. And like a true predator it was waiting for them, watching and stalking its prey. Waiting for the right moment to attack. They took a left at the top of the large stair case toward the Worthington bedroom, hoping to find and eliminate the creature. As they turned a corner they could see a large door open just a crack at the end of the hallway, with Red as point and Nuada watching the back, they slowly and cautiously snuck up to it.

An odd deep red and gold light shimmered through the cracks of the door, from within an old chant could be heard. Nuada's ears picked up the ancient language they were speaking, Latin was known as the oldest language on the planet, and it was the basis for the rest of the languages on earth.

"Imo voco te dominum meum fortissimum omnium. Ex igne sunt misit in et ex igne erit renatus…"

"Wait," hissed Nuada as the demon was about to open the door, "Think about what we're walking into, whoever is in there is summoning a demon. Tread carefully and, if you can, break their concentration and remove them from the Summoner's Circle." Hellboy turned back to the door and proceeded to kick it open. The room was lit with a glow from a large pentagram drawn in the middle of the enormous room.

The gold and red shimmered around the image on the floor, in the middle stood an erotic and mystifying woman. Her shape seemed to shimmer for several seconds before it changed to someone else. It was always a woman, scantily clad or wearing nothing at all. Beneath the shimmering form Nuada could see her true self; a woman with deep purple skin with red tattoo's marking her body. Her demonic tail whipped about violently. Her black hair fell over shoulder and her horns curled about her face, her eyes were closed as she chanted hypnotically.

"What the hell…"

"I believe she is a Succubus, a demon enchantress who seduces men." Cited Abraham, as he backed away quickly. Nuada hastily advanced on the circle, his sword drawn and he lengthened it to a spear. As he came up to the outer edge of the pentagram he slowed, he studied the symbol heavily searching for a weakness in its design. If he could find a weak point he could perform a counter spell to halt the summoning. The Succubus paid him no mind; he knew she was safe so long as the circle held its power.

Well trained eyes scanned the pentagram desperately until he found a thin line in the outer circle. He rushed it in a moment and placed both his palms upon the floor in front of it. He closed his eyes and let his magick flow from his body.

"Invoco Antiqua elementa wisdm da imperium. Terra potens, labor me fortes. Caeli, purgare animum omnes dubia. Ignis alienus hostium aciem. Aqua, lavabit eorum peccata vitam incipiat. Cum hoc scientiam mundare hoc impia advocata!"

From Nuada's palms a bright white light engulfed his form. It settled around him to create a barrier as he worked the elements to his will. The sound of rumbling could be heard from the distance, the windows burst open as a rush of air swept in and surrounded the elf. His hair whipped around his face as a flicker of fire began to encircle the pentagram, destroying the circle. From within an unearthly, bone chilling scream was heard. The Succubus, her concentration now broken, tried to jump from the fiery ring. However the magick that embodied the flame was too powerful for her to break through, she ran around trying to get out from the seeking tendrils of Nuada's magick. Finally, as the last of the circle burned away, a bright white light erupted from the middle and with it a large gush of water.

Finally the noise stopped and Nuada lifted his hands away from the floor. He opened his eyes and stood, gazing at the Demoness. Her red eyes glared at him, an intense mist started to pour from her body. It flickered across the walls, darkening whatever light was left. She advanced slowly on him, her body swaying, her curves almost enticing. When she was just a breathe away from him she threw her slender arm over his shoulder and brought her face dangerously close to his,

"Come my darling," her voice was low and sultry, her free hand traced his chest, "Let me entertain you." As she went to place her lips upon his she screamed in sudden pain. She looked down shocked at the sword that Nuada had driven into her stomach. Black blood profusely fell to the floor as she whipped her head back up and screeched at him. With a smirk he drove his blade in deeper, he brought his face close to hers.

"Your little mind tricks will do no good on me, enchantress."

"Damn you!" She spat as Hellboy strode up behind her and bound her with seals. Nuada gave a wider smirk and wrenched his sword from her body,

"Who were you summoning?"

"Lay with me Elf, and I might tell you."

Red gave a laugh, "Not in this lifetime lady." He bound her tighter and looked up at Nuada, "So what do we do with her?"

"First we should get the cleanup team in here," advised Abraham, as he checked over the seals on the Succubus, "Then we should take her back to headquarters, there are ways in which we can make her talk."

All three nodded and Red went for his communicator, before he paged his wife he gave a groan, "You do realize we have to keep her under constant surveillance right? The hormonal newbies won't be able to keep their hands off of her!"

_A/N: So here are the translations:_

_Indeed,__I call__you__my lord,__the strongest of all__. __Into the__fire__were__you sent__in__and__out of the fire__will you be__reborn_

_I call upon the Ancient Elements, Give me your wisdom and power. Earth, all powerful, keep me steadfast in my task. Air, clear my mind of all doubts. Fire, purge the enemy in my sight. Water, wash away their sins so new life may begin. With this knowledge I purify this unholy summoning!_

_So I think you guys know the drill, read review, and flame away. If you have any ideas PM me and I'll see if i can get back to you._


	8. Charming the Victim

Angel  
>Chapter 8<br>Charming her victim

They watched as the Succubus paced the white room calmly. Her hands traced the wall as she circled the entire length; her eyes focused on the double sided mirror. Nuada, Hellboy, Liz, Abraham, and Manning sat in the darkened antechamber observing her. Her glowing eyes danced and her mouth was set in a smirk; she turned and swayed her hips enticingly but no one moved. The Antechamber was covered in seals to block out her enchantments, they could not feel the lust filled power she gave off and therefore they were safe. Currently they were in the level ten containment cells underneath the Headquarters. The door into the room was covered in blessed charms and a holy cross. The Succubus refused to go anywhere near the door, she stayed to the far wall always watching the two sided mirror.

"Someone has to always be on watch," muttered Liz as she turned to the rest, "Or she's going to try and use her Magick on our weaker minded agents."

"She's a good mile and a half underground, what harm could she do?" Asked Hellboy as he puffed slowly on a cigar. Liz gave him a harsh glare while Abraham tried to explain,

"Though she is well underground, Red, her powers are extremely potent. Seals can only do so much and a little of her Magick is sure to seep through. Though her specialty is seducing men, she can also trick a woman into setting her free; though it will be much more difficult to do so."

Red said nothing as Manning fumbled around inside his pocket for his antacids. He popped a few pills into his mouth,

"Hellboy, you have a natural resistance to her, correct?" The demon nodded, "And you, Prince, she can't sway you easily?"

"My mind is far too powerful for her."

"Your sister is the same?"

Nuada narrowed his eyes, "I would assume so, yes." He didn't like where this conversation was going, "But I will not allow my sister near the creature."

"But," interjected Abraham, he cringed slightly as Nuada glared at him, "It would be much harder to trick a woman, as I said before. Liz and Nuala should stay to at least keep you and Red in check."

Nuada couldn't argue with his logic despite the fact that he wanted to; there were no other protests so Liz was assigned to stay with her husband while he interrogated the demon, Nuada and Nuala would then keep watch over the Succubus at night. Liz and Manning worked out the rest of the schedule as Nuada and Abraham left the Antechamber. They took a right to the elevator down the hall, the walk was tense.

"I do not appreciate you putting my sister in any sort of danger," Nuada pushed the button on the panel. He could almost sense the Psychic's apprehension, as the double doors hissed open and both stepped in the feeling seemed to only increase. The doors shut and the elevator shifted to life closing them in together,

"I understand," Replied the fish like man. He was trying to put as much space between him and Nuada as possible, "I thought it would be a well-balanced pair, she would be harder to tempt and would be able to break any hold the Succubus managed to get over you."

Nuada snorted and turned to Abraham, "If you care about Nuala as much as you say you do, then this will never happen again." He threatened, his face inches from Abe's, "Are we clear?"

"Perfectly." The elevator made a small noise and opened, Nuada left the Psychic trembling as he went off towards the Resident Hall. His frustration slowly ebbed away as he neared his door, he was ready for anything to take his mind off of the day he had. He strode up to the door ready to punch in the code. In an instant his ears picked up the faint sound of running feet and he whipped his head to the right. His eyes widened with surprise as Oriel giggled and barreled straight into him. With a grunt he caught her in his arms, stumbling back several paces. Behind her his sister was just coming up, a small smile painting her face.

He looked down at a very happy Oriel who was grinning up at him. She bounced back and laughed so more, obviously in a good mood. Nuala finally caught up to the two and bowed to him, "It is good to see you home brother." She greeted quietly, "But I sense something is amiss, what ails you?"

Nuada hesitated; he knew how much Nuala loved Abraham. She thought the entire world of him, and though she didn't show it she was always seeking Nuada's approval of him. It was usually why he was less brazen about the blue skinned man but sometimes it was hard to hide his intense dislike. He cared so much for his sister; he didn't want to see her hurt. In a way, he appreciated the fact that Abraham seemed to worship the ground Nuala walked on, it let him know he wasn't about to go behind her back and betray her.

"We have just captured a Succubus, you and I are to keep a watch on her all night; as advised by your Abraham."

Nuala looked at him confused, her delicate brow knitted together as she folded her hands against her body, "And this bothers you?" Nuada carefully chose his words,

"I am merely concerned for your well-being; that is all. This demoness we captured is very powerful; I would hate to see you hurt should she capture you under her influence."

Nuala gave him an unfathomable look, she knew there was more to it than what he was letting on, but she didn't push him. Instead she turned her gaze to Oriel who was humming happily to herself, completely oblivious to the conversation. She twirled on a foot, bouncing from one leg to the other. Nuala gave a small laugh, "I have just introduced her to music; classical of course, she took an extreme liking to it. It seems that Beethoven is her favorite."

As Nuada paid more attention to the tune of her hum, he realized that she was singing his ninth Symphony. They watched her for a few minutes before Nuada gave an unwilling yawn, Nuala glanced at him and smiled.

"Go on brother, I will entertain Oriel more. You need your rest."

"Thank you." He muttered his password into the keypad; the door hissed open and shut behind him. Without bothering to take off his armor, he shed his sword and set it on the desk and fell onto his bed. In a few seconds he was softly snoring.

* * *

><p>Oriel watched Nuada's door hiss shut. She briefly wondered what had put him in a bad mood; his disgruntled and wavering light red aura had shown her that he wasn't happy. And when questioned about it he had not told the entire truth. She looked up at Nuala, concern lining her face. The pale woman gave her a comforting smile and placed a hand on her shoulder.<p>

"Sometimes it is best to leave him to his own thoughts and emotions," she explained, she gracefully turned on her heel and the pair walked down to Nuala's room, "He'll feel better in the morning, worry not Oriel." Finally, she opened her door and they both walked in. Oriel watched as Nuala wandered over to the stereo on the far wall and placed another disk in. She turned to the winged woman with a smile on her face, "Classical music is well enjoyed by many," explained Nuala as a light hearted tone started to fill the room, "But the music from the 1950's was also loved. This is "Moonlight Serenade" by The Glenn Miller Orchestra."

Oriel watched as the woman started to sway in time with the music, encouraging her to do the same. She closed her eyes and listened to the swooning sound of the instruments. The tempo was slow and was easy to dance to. Oriel turned on her toes and swayed her hips clumsily; she was so entranced with the music she jumped when Nuala touched her arm.

"Do you want me to teach you how to dance?" she asked, and the winged woman's eyes widened as she nodded earnestly. The blonde haired woman grasped her right hand and guided her left to her shoulder. Nuala placed a hand on her hip, "Now generally the gentleman would lead, since we are lacking the male component of this waltz you'll have to make do with me. Now you must follow my lead, you're going to take your right foot and step back."

Oriel did just as she said, "Good," praised the pale woman, "Now take your other foot and step to your left, yes just like that." They danced slowly at first, while Oriel tried to get used to the dance steps, she always looked down, following her dance steps until she got the confidence to lift her head up. Nuala smiled pleasantly as one song lead to another, each as slow as the last. Finally Nuala stepped away as the disk came to an end, leaving the white haired woman feeling a buzz with joy. She slowly twirled on her toes, humming happily to herself.

"Time for bed," declared the older woman, the white haired girl stopped mid twirl and groaned. She crossed her arms and started to pout which made Nuala giggle. She placed a comforting arm around her shoulders as she lead Oriel out of her bedroom and down the hall to her door. The winged girl punched in her code and before she stepped into her room she gave Nuala a hug. "Sleep well," she murmured in her white hair and with a kiss she sent her inside.

The door hissed shut and locked into place, Oriel stretched as she walked over to a large dresser near her bathroom door. She pulled out the top drawer and took out a pair of grey shorts and another tank top. This was what she always seemed to wear, because of her wings it was hard to find clothes that could accommodate with them. She slipped on her nightwear and flipped the nearby light switch off. The room darkened instantly but from the corner the soft glow of the nightlight kept the scarier shadows at bay.

Oriel's pulse quickened with the dark, memories pushed their way to the surface. Emotions struggled with one another and the one she could taste the most was fear. She closed her eyes to slow her heart; there was nothing to be afraid of. Not anymore. She was safe with people who cared about her and how she felt. Slowly Oriel walked toward her bed, her arms outstretched so she wouldn't run into anything. When the plush sheets met her hands she fell into the bed and sighed. She snuggled deeper under the covers breathing the fresh scent of clean sheets.

As Oriel closed her eyes her mind went into overdrive, she was happy for the first time in a long time. True the first few days had been hard, there were several Do's and Don'ts she had to learn. Then she had to sleep by herself, which was nerve wracking because her room had been so dark before Liz put in the nightlight. The nightmares didn't help much, but the days passed and soon everything became routine. There was no shortage of excitement, Liz and Hellboy's arguments were always interesting to watch. Especially when the black haired woman set herself on fire, which had caused Oriel to panic the first time she had seen it. After coaxing the winged woman out from under a table, Liz had explained that she had a special ability that could set objects or her-self on fire.

Slowly Oriel's thoughts came to a hold, her mind turned blank as her eyelids grew heavier. Sleep beckoned and reality faded away to the deep vast comfort of darkness.

* * *

><p>"Nuada…" the voice reached his subconscious, soft and low. He gave a small grunt as he turned his head, intent on ignoring the voice. But it was not one to relent so easily, his name rang through his mind. Always calm, coaxing him out of the dreamland he had situated himself in. A hand landed on his shoulder, shaking him gently until, finally, Nuada groaned and lifted his head off his beloved pillow and looked up.<p>

Nuala smiled down at him, her gaze soft as she folded her arms against her body. With a yawn he brought himself to a sitting position, his mind gathered his thoughts and he remembered they he and his sister were to guard the Succubus tonight. A sigh escaped his lips, he nodded his thanks to his sister who gave a bow and left. Nuada was still dressed in his battle tunic, and so switched it for a comfortable outfit made of cotton. As precaution he brought his sword, he prayed he wouldn't have to use it.

He met his sister outside his room and the two walked down the hall to the elevator. Nuala procured a key card from her dress and swiped it into the device next to the door. There was a small ring and the door opened, she punched in the code for the lower levels and the elevator gave a lurch as it descended deeper underground. There was only one way into the high security cells and only one way out, and the elevator only opened to those who had the access card.

"You slept well?" Inquired his sister, Nuada gave a nod of his head as the transport stopped and opened, they stepped out into a white sterile hallway. Their footsteps echoed eerily as they passed several heavily locked doors until they finally came to their destination. They took a right at the end of the hall and came into another, this particular one, however, was adorned with quite a few security cameras and four crucifixes hanging on the walls. There were two doors, one with seals and locks while the other one was farther down and less decorated.

Nuada opened the plain door and allowed his sister to enter first, Liz and Hellboy looked up from the security TVs and gave sighs of relief. The room was dark and slightly cramped; to the left was a large two sided mirror in which they could observe the demoness, the other side was adorned with TV's so they could watch the hall for intruders.

"Has she revealed anything yet?"

"Tch," Hellboy heaved himself out of his chair "I wish." Liz shook her head as she too stood and stretched. She looked tired and stressed,

"We'll have to use more forceful methods to get her to talk."

"Just let me shoot her a couple of times, a few bullets filled with Holy Water ought to loosen her tongue up."

His wife gave him a glare, "Red we need authorization to do that, and until we get that authorization we're stuck babysitting her."

"Ok, jeez, calm down." Liz left the room in a huff, obviously not in one of her best moods. Red gave a shake of his head as he followed after her. If events went about their natural course, Liz would be on fire before she reached their room. The door closed and Nuala and Nuada grabbed the chairs and sat down, his sister turned her seat to the Succubus who was watching the mirror. Her eyes hardly blinked, her tail swishing back and forth methodically. Nuada chose to entertain himself by watching the cameras. He gave a depressed sigh; this was going to be a very long night.

* * *

><p>Oriel turned in her sleep, crushing her left wing under the weight of her body. She grumbled under her breath, sweat dotted her forehead. She tossed again, throwing her arm over the edge of her bed. She was dreaming, but it wasn't like any other dream she ever had. She was in her room, sitting on her bed. Her lights had a dim creepy glow to them. She had a sense of foreboding as she shifted uncomfortably; there was a buzz and heaviness to the air so thick she could taste it.<p>

"Help me…" Oriel looked toward her door, "Help me, please…" The cries of a lost little girl traveled to her ears. Confused as to why a little girl would be here she left her bed and padded across her room to the door. It gave no noise as it opened, which struck her as odd but she abandoned the thought when the child's voice echoed out again. "Please, help me!"

Her heart quickened as she followed the voice, the poor child sounded so alone and so helpless. She wanted to find her and comfort the little girl. She finally reached a door, a door that refused to open no matter how hard she pushed on it. She stepped back and noticed a small panel next to it, forcefully she tapped on it but nothing happened. The cries of the girl grew louder as Oriel tried to figure the device out. She placed her hand on it and to her surprise white light flashed out and fried the machine. The door gave a small ding and opened.

She stepped in and the door closed, she waited for something to happen. She glimpsed a flashing button and pushed it and the transport came to life. With a gasp she got the feeling she was falling until it lurched to a halt. The door opened again and she came out into a white hallway, the voice faltered for a moment but grew louder, a sense of urgency in her tone. Slowly Oriel walked down the hall, her feet mechanically taking her toward the door that would free the child.

* * *

><p>Nuada and Nuala were taking, for the past six hours nothing had happened and both assumed nothing would. Of course they always stole glances toward the Succubus and the TV screens. It had been quite a while since he had spent time with his sister and he planned on enjoying every moment. They talked about favorite books and songs that they loved; Nuala was especially enthusiastic about that topic. They must have spent a good hour and a half on their favorite composers.<p>

As the conversation wound down Nuada glanced at the Succubus. She had ripped her attention away from the two sided mirror and now was watching the door intently. Almost as if she was waiting for someone to open it. Her face was impassive, unblinking, like she was concentrating.

"Brother!" Nuala's cry brought his head around to her, she was pointing in horror at one of the screens. He came to her side and squinted at what she was indicating to. His stomach dropped as Oriel came into view on the security camera.

"How did she get down here!" he gave a snarl as he hit the nearby emergency button, red lights started to flash.

"I do not know, but brother look at her. Look how she walks, slow and machine like. I do not think she know what she is doing!" Nuada whipped his head back to the Succubus,

"The Demoness has her!" He jumped toward the door, sword in hand and threw it open. Oriel was just out of arm's reach of the door. Nuada knew, in spite of his speed, he would not catch in her in time before she ripped off one of the seals. Her eyes were glazed over and her mouth was opened slightly as her hand touched the door. "Oriel, NO!"

* * *

><p>Oriel could hear the girl crying on the other side. She grabbed one of the seals on the door and pulled it back, just as the last of it was about to come off she heard a new voice, "Oriel, NO!" But it was too late, the winged woman was thrown back by an terrifying force. She hit the wall and slid down with a groan, her head hurt and her wings burned like fire. She opened her eyes in a daze and found that there was no little girl on the other side of the door.<p>

A tall ethereal woman strode out of the room and gave a great laugh. Her red eyes looked around and the crosses that had hung on the walls burned to ash. Oriel watched in horror as the purple skinned woman's gaze landed on her, her tail stopped swishing and her stare turned cold. Frantically, the winged woman looked around. Nuada, whose voice she had heard within her dream, had been thrown back against the wall farther down the hall, and Nuala was useless to do anything.

"So," a shiver ran down her spine as her attention snapped back to the demon, "You are the one he seeks so desperately…" The demon didn't move as Oriel tried to scramble back through the wall, she managed to get to a standing position but her fear kept her from bolting.

"Yes," she hissed, "You should be afraid; Arronax will come for you my dear. He saw your potential in The Institute, he knows what you are capable of. And it will be my pleasure to take you to him…" She was frozen as the demon walked closer to her, from her right she heard,

"Oriel, Move. Run!" Nuada had come to, but Oriel heard nothing, her fear blocking out everything. How had she known about the Institute? Unless she was somehow acquainted with the demon she had grown up with. The female reached a clawed hand toward her, her eyes evil, her presence terrifying. The Winged Woman's breathing hitched and quickened until it felt like she could hardly breathe, tears started to pour out of her eyes. Inches away Oriel screwed her eyes shut, wishing the demoness would just go away. An earth shattering scream pierced the air.

_A/N: So originally this was going to be a lot longer but I enjoy my cliffhangers as much as the next person. So you'll have to wait to see what happens next, ^^. So don't forget to add **Constructive** critism and enjoy your day._

_2thestarsandabove_


	9. Notice from the Author

**Notice!**

**_For All those who saw this isn't another chapter, sucks to be you!_**

**So last Friday I hurt my back, I mean I hurt it really bad. I went to a doctor and it turns out that there's a bone in my pelvis, ( Or at least I think it's a bone. I don't know, I was in too much pain to care) that's not supposed to move but it's not uncommon for it to move and it decided Friday morning to slip out and sit on a nerve near my spine. So now every movement hurts and I can't sit up straight. So I'm enduring the hurt to tell you all I might not be updating for a while. I hope you guys understand and I'll try to get back as soon as I can.**

**2thestarsandabove**


	10. First Words

Angel  
>NuadaOC  
>Chapter 9<br>First words

Nuada watched in horror as the Succubus reached for Oriel, who had tears streaming down her face. She was backed against the wall, cornered and frightened. She huddled over with her eyes screwed shut, almost waiting for the miracle that would never seem to come. She whimpered as the Demoness came within a few inches of her, shakily he tried to stand and rush to help her but his limbs refused to move. All her could do was urge her to run,

"Oriel! Move, Run!"

But her fear froze her; she waited and waited, her whimpering desperate. Nuada, with effort, stood using the wall to steady him. He was about to charge forward when Oriel began to glow. The light was soft at first, covering her body like a shield. But as seconds passed it grew and grew until she looked like she was encased by white fire. The Succubus hesitated as the light became brighter and stronger. Suddenly, like a star going supernova, it shrank and exploded with an alarming force.

Nuada turned his head away as the light filled the hallway, the heat was so powerful it could be felt. There was a loud blood curdling scream but it died away as quickly as it had come. For several minutes he felt the shockwaves of the attack and as the warmth faded away he dared to open his eyes. The hall looked as if nothing had happened, Oriel was still cowering against the wall but the Succubus was nothing but a pile of ashes on the floor.

Nuada was shaky as he crossed the distance between himself and oriel in a few strides. Gently he put his hands on her shoulders causing her to shriek in fear; she fought against his hands as he tried to calm her. Finally, after minutes of struggling against him, she looked up at him and her frightened icy eyes met his, with a shudder she grasped his shirt and clung to him shaking violently. Nuala, who had ducked back into the antechamber before the light anomaly, slowly stepped out and seemed to hover over his shoulder. Around the corner at the end of the hall Hellboy, Liz, Abraham, and several other agents ran towards them.

"What happened?" Asked Hellboy as he cocked his revolver, he eyed the open door with apprehension. Several agents looked around frantically for the Demoness. Nuada shook his head,

"That is what's left of her." He pointed to the pile of ashes behind him. The group murmured to themselves,

"How did she become a pile of ashes in the first place? Who let her out?" Demanded Liz, her eyes started to glow as her temper grew. Nuada looked to Oriel who gazed over the group in confusion and fear. Her shaking had died down but her death grip on his shirt had yet to lessen.

"I think…." He muttered, "We have much to learn about Oriel. She was the one who killed the Succubus."

"What? How did she get down her in the first place?"

Hellboy concentrated on the floor tapping his chin thoughtfully, "The code panel," he deduced, "the alarm down here unlocks the elevator, but the panel was fried. Maybe she has some other wacky powers to go along with those large wings of hers."

They all regarded Oriel; there was much they did not know about her. Could the use of light be one of the side effects of her experimentation? Who could say, it would remain a mystery until all of the files given by Dr. Riley could by decrypted.

The next half hour was filled with activity; Liz went to disable the emergency alarm as the spare agents cleaned up the remains of the Demon. They would be sent to a priest to be purified before being tossed to the wind. Hellboy stayed and asked questions; Nuada calmly answered them all as Oriel still clung to his shirt. It was assumed that she had been possessed by the Succubus as she slept; the demon had fed her an image she would likely succumb to and had used it to her advantage.

"The Bosses up top are gonna be pissed when they find out about this," said Red, he gave a grin as he bent down to Oriel's level and flashed a charming smile. She looked at him passively, "You sure know how to cause trouble Angel." With that he stood and walked off to find Liz; behind Nuada Abraham was tending to Nuala. He held her gently by the hands as he looked her over for any damage. The crowd was slowly dispersing along with the tense buzz in the air. He looked down, he was still crouching with Oriel who had yet to let go of him. He eased into a standing position, it had been a long night and the white haired woman needed sleep.

* * *

><p>Oriel had heard the scream of the demon but did not know if she had destroyed it. Which was why she struggled as a pair of hands rested on her shoulders. She did not want to be taken; she had finally found a home, a place where she belonged. Frightened she looked up and met the intense gold eyes of Nuada. He was paler than usual, he looked shaken and concerned. They gazed at each other for a moment before she clung to his shirt and silently shook. Activity brought her attention around to the agents coming around the corner. Red, Liz, Abe, and others were looking around for the demon but Nuada told them that she was gone.<p>

Liz looked upset; Oriel could see her fiery aura flare with her temper. She felt bad, she really did. She had gone where she wasn't supposed to; she knew she had caused trouble for the BPRD. She felt as if all of this could have been prevented if she had not been so weak. She felt tears sting the backs of her eyes while the spare agents cleaned up. Red interrogated Nuada and when he was done he seemed to praise her ability to cause trouble. This made her feel even worse. As everything died down Nuada finally stood bringing her with him.

She let him guide her back down the hall to the small transport, the door closed the two in and she snuck a peek at him. He seemed upset indicated by the light red tinge around him. Was that caused by her? The ride was silent as they traveled up, she cautiously stole glances at him, and the sinking feeling grew heavier in her gut with each second. With a soft ding the doors opened to the familiar halls.

As Nuada led her back through the twisting paths, she slowly loosened her grip on his shirt. Eventually she made him let go of her and she silently trailed behind him. She watched her feet hit the tiles on the floor; there was a pulling urge inside her. Growing bigger and bigger until she felt like she needed to scream. Or something among those lines. Her mouth moved a bit, her breath caught in her chest and she stopped mid stride. Farther ahead Nuada realized that she wasn't following him anymore and he looked back, but she hardly paid attention.

* * *

><p>Nuada was halfway down the hall when he realized that Oriel was no longer behind him. He stopped and looked back to find her staring intently at the floor. Her face was stern with concentration, her fists clenched and unclenched at her sides. Concerned he walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, startled she looked up at him. She studied him with icy eyes, almost asking him something he couldn't grasp.<p>

"Come." He urged and he turned to take her to her room.

"Nuada…" He stopped while his heart skipped several beats. He turned to look at her again, his mouth open slightly in shock. Had she just….? No, it must have been his imagination. But she glanced at him and then bore her gaze to the floor. Her mouth worked silently as she mustered up whatever courage she had, "I-I'm s-s-s-sor-sorry." Her voice was extremely soft, like a breeze swaying by on an early spring day.

And this was not what Nuada wanted her first words to be, he didn't want her to say apologies when they were not needed. He realized that she blamed herself for what had happened with the Succubus. With a light chuckle he strode up to her and kneeled down, he rested his hands on her shoulders and made her look at him,

"No Oriel," he said softly, but firmly, "None of this was your fault. If anyone is to blame, it is I. I should have kept a better watch. But it no longer matters now, what does matter is you have spoken. To hear you say my name first is a true honor Oriel."

She gave him a shy smile, "Th-th-thank y-you."

He returned the gesture with one of his own, a full smile meant only for her. They stayed there for a moment, his gaze meeting Oriel's and her eyes flashed with happiness. He stood now and he carefully grasped her arm, the night had been long and full of surprises. One of them even pleasant, and as Nuada sent the white haired woman to bed he gave her one last smile. He hoped that this development, this newfound courage she had found would only help her. She had come so far now, done so much in her brief time here. Soon she wouldn't need to depend on him at all. And to his surprise, that saddened him.


	11. The New Guy

Angel  
>NuadaOc  
>Chapter 10<br>The New Guy

Oriel felt light as the door slid shut behind her. How long had it been since she last said a word? She was surprised her voice sounded so light, she expected it to be hoarse and cracked. She recalled the shocked look upon Nuada's face as she said his name, how he had stopped almost not believing she had spoken. But she had, and it made her feel happy. She relative safety of her new home, her friends, her newfound courage and abilities; anything was possible and it made each day better than the last.

Sighing Oriel reached along her wall and switched the light off, but as darkness engulfed the room the Demoness stepped from the shadows. With a shriek of terror Oriel doubled over and squeezed her eyes shut. As moments passed she waited for the Succubus to grab her, cautiously she opened her eyes and the darkness yielded nothing, save for the faint glow of her night light. With a shudder she scrambled in the dark toward her bed and dived under the covers. She closed her eyes and turned to her side in an effort to try and sleep.

But the demon was still there in the shadow of her mind; with a whimper she turned again as tears seeped from her eyes. The terror proved too much for the winged woman as she grabbed her pillow and rushed toward her door. She was barely out of her room before she turned left and raced down to the hall to Nuada's door. She skidded to a halt, nearly tripping from her sudden stop, and began to bang incessantly on his door.

* * *

><p>Nuada was just settling down to sleep when a flurry of knocks began to hail his door. If it had been an agent they would have used a master keycard to get in, curious as to whom it could be he walked over. When it hissed open he didn't expect a frightened Oriel looking up at him. Tears lined her face as she clutched her pillow close. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder,<p>

"Are you alright?"

Flustered she tried to tell him what was wrong, but she stumbled over her words so badly he couldn't understand her. From what she was trying to say it seemed she was too scared to be in her room by herself. With a small smile he steered her into his room, at least to get her to calm down before he would try to convince her that her bedroom was perfectly safe. She stood awkwardly in the center of the room as he went into his bathroom to get her a drink of water. When he came back he was surprised to see that she was near his desk examining one of his many creations.

Nuada was fascinated by goblin engineering and even managed to study some of their works and techniques when he lived among them for a time. He constantly tinkered with any broken magical objects he came across and loved to build from scratch. The current piece Oriel was looking at was a tear-drop shaped glass no bigger than a marble, inside the glass was Witchwater. This special kind of water was extremely rare, even among magical creatures. Many of the properties found in this enchanted water were mysterious; the liquid seemed to have a mind of its own and constantly changed colors.

Oriel was transfixed by the small tear-shaped glass, she gave a gasp when it decided to change its color from clear to a light purple. Nuada smiled as she reached a careful hand out and touched the glass and cradled it in her palm. She looked up at him when she noticed his presence and seemed to look suddenly ashamed for touching something of his. He gave a laugh as she sheepishly put it back where it belonged.

"Do you like it?" he asked, and she shyly nodded. He whisked away the small glass and went to his dresser to dig around in it. He found a long, thin gold chain and with both items he found his tool kit and sat on his bed. Oriel joined him as he opened his kit and found a thin chisel. With a careful hand and eye he drilled a hole near the top of the glass and eased the chain through. He held it out so they could both admire it then he promptly put it into her hands. She gave him a shocked stare,

"If you like it so much," he explained softly, "It's yours" He grabbed then chain and put it around her neck, carefully she lifted her hair out of the way so he could hook it. It rested easily against her pale skin and changed between a green and blue. She smiled up at him happily,

"T-thank you…" she whispered. Nuada bowed his head and was more than content to watch as Oriel appreciated her new gift. After a few moments she looked up at him,

"Do you feel safe enough to return to your quarters?" he asked gently, her panicked look told him no. With a small chuckle he allowed her to stay, at least to try and tire her out. For a good portion of the night he showed her his many creations and with each one she took more interest. She always seemed to look sincerely pleased with all his fine work. It was well past midnight when he got up from his bed to search around his dresser with his sketchpad full of designs, when he retrieved it and turned around he was surprised to see Oriel fast asleep on his bed. For a moment he didn't know what to do, but he was afraid to wake her if he carried her back to her room so he crossed over to his bed and pulled the sheets around her. Then, after grabbing a spare pillow and a blanket, he did what any gentleman would do: Nuada slept on the floor.

Nuada woke the next morning with a stiff and sore back, but Oriel looked better than ever so he kept his complaints to himself. She was sitting on his bed, flipping through his sketchpad that he had left on the nearby desk. She looked fascinated at the careful designs and equations listed on each sketch, and even seemed to admire the complexity of each one. When he first stirred she looked down at him and smiled as he opened his eyes. He returned one of his own, and after he saw her off to her own room he went about his morning routine of showering and dressing.

Oriel met him in the hall as he stepped out, "G-good Morning, N-n-nuada…" she mumbled softly and he proudly beamed at her,

"Good Morning, Oriel." And the two set off toward the mess hall to eat. As usual Liz, Hellboy, Nuala, Abe, and the twins were all sitting for breakfast. For a moment, as she stepped in, Oriel seemed to hesitate. Nuada looked back at her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder,

"No one is forcing you to talk; if you wish to speak do so at your pace. No one else's." She nodded vigorously as he set off toward the long line and she toward the table. She caught the last snatch of their conversation as she sat down,

"…and not to mention we got a new guy coming in this mornin'" mumbled Red as he fed Arianna a piece of her bacon, "I hate new guys…"

"No," Liz argued lightly as she tried to get Jr. to eat anything, "You just hate change, obeying orders, and what else am I missing? Oh, you hate it when I eat your candy." She gave him a teasing glance as her husband stuck his tongue out at her. The table laughed light heartedly as Oriel quietly cleared her throat.

"G-g-good M-morning." She greeted as loud as she dared. The entire table went deathly quiet as everyone turned their heads to her. She received awestruck stares, she gave a nervous smile. Nuala was the first to recover her wits,

"And a happy morning to you, did you sleep well?"

"Yes…"

"Well I'll be damned," mumbled Hellboy, "Seems like Angel does have a voice," he gave her a proud look that caused a blush to paint her pale skin,

"It's so very nice to hear you speak Oriel," commented Liz and as the winged woman looked around at the proud faces of her friends, she gave smile and nodded. Nuada finally came back with their plates and sat down next to her,

"Did you hear Angel talk Princey?" The elf gave a small nod,

"Last night."

Hellboy gave a grumble as the normal conversation resumed, and straight after breakfast everyone filed toward the Library. Oriel was taken with the tide of movement and soon she found herself in the middle of the group, ready to greet the new agent. They watched the lift anxiously as it lowered and finally clicked into place. Oriel tried to see around Hellboy, who was effectively blocking her view with his large frame, but to no avail. She pushed past an agent whose name she didn't know to stand next Nuada who gazed at a well-built but nervous looking agent that looked to be in his early twenties.

He was tall, a little over five foot ten, and he had a slight tan to his skin. His sharp face was crowned with a head full of clean cut blonde hair. His eyes were a striking green and a light sheen of sweat lined his forehead. Oriel could see his nervousness as a yellow green tint surrounded him. His eyes jumped from one person to the next but his stare settled on the winged woman in shock. It was Todd's voice that finally brought him back to reality,

"Desmond Raymond Jones, worked with the FBI for a year, is that correct?"

Desmond nodded quickly, "Yes sir."

"Well Agent Jones, Welcome to the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense, let me introduce you to the rest of the Team." Agent Manning proceeded to point out the different members of the odd group, Liz gave him a wave along with Hellboy. Abe a "Hello" Nuada said nothing as he scrutinized the human under his intense gaze, causing Agent Jones to shrink back from him. Nuala gave a bow and when Todd said Oriel's name she gave a small smile and a wave. Desmond gave a nervous wave back and was soon led away by Todd to his new dorm.

"Guy looks tough, but I swear I thought he was about to faint with fright." Remarked Hellboy as they stared at his retreating back. Liz smacked him on the arm,

"I'm not surprised; you're not much to look at." Red childishly stuck his tongue out at her, much to the enjoyment of his daughter, who proceeded to copy her father. With an irritated sigh, Liz retrieved Arianna from Red and walked off toward their room. There were some giggles as the demon tried to sheepishly apologize after her and as soon as the two were gone Nuala and Abe were soon walking off together. What was left of the agents soon dispersed to do their jobs, leaving Nuada and Oriel completely alone.

She looked up at her pale companion and noticed that his gaze seemed to linger on the retreating figure of his sister, a look of loneliness and longing danced across his eyes for a moment. And as quickly as it had appeared it was gone the instant he looked down at her. Oriel could almost see all of his emotion hiding behind an icy wall that he seemed to erect around himself, eyes that could tell a thousand tales were now as dead as a corpse. The only way Oriel could tell he was in a good mood was the light gold tint around him. She smiled up at him, in an effort to break the awkwardness she was feeling.

He seemed to study her for a moment before he smirked at her, "Shall we return to our lessons?"

She gave a groan and a grimace at the thought of trying to write down her feelings, she had only just started talking and that was hard enough. Nuada gave a laugh at her face and wandered over to the desk she usually sat at. From within one of the drawers he pulled out a notebook. It had light brown leather cover with gold ivy designs decorating the cover and spine. He handed it to her and when she looked inside she noticed that it was empty of words. Curiously she looked up at him.

"It's a diary," he explained as he handed her a pencil, "Write in that every night, and talk about your day. About whom you saw or what you did. Write down anything exciting or something that scared you. It's your own personal book, something that no one else will see."

Oriel flipped the pages a bit before she gave a nod, "O-okay" she muttered, she then hugged it close and gave a happy sigh. His gifts made her feel happy, the necklace, her diary; he was such a kind and caring person. She gazed up at him again and gazed into his enchanting gold eyes, "T-thank y-you."

"No, Oriel" he said softly for a moment something else flickered across his eyes, something that seemed to seek for companionship but he looked away before she could read into it more, "Thank you." Speechless he left the library, leaving Oriel wondering what had just happened.

_A/N: So what do you guys think, I of course had to intoroduce a challenge for Nuada, or else it wouldn't be fun!_


	12. Talking with Desmond

Angel  
>NuadaOC  
>Chapter 11<br>Talking with Desmond

After Nuada's abrupt exit from the library Oriel spent most of the day pondering over his strange behavior. The answer eluded her as the evening fell and as her stomach growled she decided that perhaps she should go eat dinner. But first she wanted to put her diary away; happily she clutched the notebook close and skipped off toward her rooms. She contemplated on where she would hide it but soon decided that under her mattress seemed like a good idea. Sure that no one would find it; she left and took off toward the Mess Area at a full sprint.

The long hallways and the lack of people about made the sprint much easier. If she tried, Oriel supposed she could go even faster, she was half tempted to try but as she pondered the pros and cons she failed to notice Desmond and successfully ran him into the floor. Oriel gave out a shocked cry as she ran into his large frame and the two were sent flying back several feet. Desmond grunted as he landed on his back with a heavy thud, his body cushioning Oriel's fall.

Shocked, Oriel jumped back immediately realizing that her carelessness may have hurt the new agent. In her agitation and fear her wings tried to expand to their full length as she tried not to panic. She rushed over to his side and tried to feel for any broken bones and when she found none she breathed a bit easier. Desmond gave a groan as the winged woman shook his shoulder a bit. Slowly, he opened his eyes and dazed green orbs glittered back at her. She heaved a sigh of relief; she had not hurt the poor man. She stood carefully and held out a small hand for the younger man to take and she easily helped him to his feet.

"Thanks" he said, Oriel smiled at him. Desmond look back down the hall and he seemed to realize that they had traveled quite a few feet when they collided, "Man, you must have been bookin it down the hall." He commented, nervously he gave her a side glance, "How fast do you think you were going?"

Oriel shrugged her shoulders; the younger agent gave an amused huff and turned his full attention to her. He seemed to study her intently and his eyes spent much time on her large white wings. He must have realized he was staring because he looked away embarrassed.

"So I realized it's almost dinner time, but I'll be honest with you I'm lost." He said with a smile and a light chuckle, "Do you think you could help me find the Cafeteria?" Oriel nodded vigorously and she took his hand without hesitation and led him down the familiar halls. Several minutes later they came into a bustling Mess Hall and she gave him a small wave as she went into the line to get her food. She piled her plate full of fruit and veggies and she went over to her usual table taking her usual spot.

Oriel realized that during her stay she had grown less wary of Hellboy, she now understood that he was a gentle giant but she also knew that he was scary when he was mad. It was fortunate that hardly ever happened. Eventually she came to accept his presence to the point where she could even sit next to him without trouble. Red gave her a huge grin as she sat down a foot or two away from him and she returned it with just as much enthusiasm.

Dinner started with not much excitement, though Oriel took an interest in Desmond as he tried to find a spot to sit. She watched with pity as he nervously glanced around for an inviting place and she was about to wave him over when he chose an empty table near the door. He looked lonely and lost sitting by himself but before she could go and entertain him Nuada walked through the door. The tall elf cast Desmond a fleeting glance before striding off to get his own meal. Within a few minutes he sat down next to the winged woman and he bowed his head in greeting.

Oriel nodded as she started to scrutinize him, her white eyes searched his face for any sign of the emotions he had shown earlier but she saw none. With an unsatisfied sigh she finished off her plate, what had caused his mysterious behavior and what was all the loneliness she had seen. He had his sister; he got along with his fellow agents. But, as Oriel thought of it more, there was more to it than what she was seeing. The more she studied his past actions with other people like Liz or Red; she noticed that he was respectful. Not nice or friendly, as he was with her or Nuala.

This puzzled her even more, and as she thought back more and more she also now noticed how everyone seemed extremely wary of him. Like he was the one they should fear instead of Red, she couldn't see how this was possible Nuada was such a kind and caring person once she got over his towering and terrifying presence. Did no one else see this side of him, and if not what kept them from seeing this? The answer eluded Oriel as she finally came back to reality, while she had been off deep in thought everyone had finished eating and even her plate had been taken up for her.

The room was starting to clear up as people slowly drifted back to work or to bed, almost everyone anyway. Desmond seemed slightly lost as he finished his dinner and cleaned up. He eyed the door warily and the winged woman gave a small knowing smile, she had been the same way when she had to brave the confusing halls of the BPRD. Swiftly she stood and walked toward the taller man and tapped him on the arm, he jumped slightly and looked down at her. It took a moment before he recognized her and smiled. She motioned for him to follow, figuring she could at least lead him back to familiar halls.

As they walked out of the Mess hall together she looked back to wave good-bye to her friends, she paused slightly at the intense gaze Nuada directed towards Desmond's back. He seemed to notice she was watching him and it immediately disappeared as he turned away. More puzzled than before she shrugged it off and left.

* * *

><p>Nuada watched Oriel and the human leave together and a rush of white hot emotion ran down his spine, the hairs on his neck bristled and he found his mouth had curved into a small sneer. What was the cause of this resentment he felt toward the new agent? He was nothing more than a human, why should he feel any different about him than he did about the others? He watched as the man turned to Oriel and said something to her she obviously found it amusing and she gave a small laugh, her wings quivered in her delight.<p>

"Do I sense jealousy brother?" Nuada gave a start as he turned to face the very knowing eyes of his sister. He stiffened and half thought about denying her observation, but he could hide nothing from her. Instead he chose not to dignify it with an answer and he turned away from her in a huff. Amused at his child like antics Nuala gave a small smile and left him to his own devices.

Him, Jealous? The thought was absurd, but whenever he thought about that human talking with Oriel he felt the same intense dislike run down his spine. He gave a low grumble as he left the cafeteria hoping to find a way to take his mind off of Oriel and her newfound companion. As he walked toward his room to get his training gear he gave a huff and stopped in the middle of the hall. Why would he be jealous of a mere human? There was nothing extraordinary about him; he had neither powers nor any magical lineage. _But Oriel likes him._ With another grumble of anger Nuada took off toward his room again determined to ignore that nagging little voice trying to tell him something he was almost afraid to know.

* * *

><p>"It's Oriel, right?" asked Desmond as the pair walked down the hall towards some unknown destination, the white haired woman dipped her head in confirmation and the agent gave a serious nod. "See I'm usually really bad with names, so I don't want to forget." She gave another chuckle; he would soon find that most of the agents here would be pretty hard to forget. She noticed that despite the fact he as trying not to, he was looking at her wings from the corner of his eyes. She grabbed his wrist and made him stop, he opened his mouth but he promptly shut it when she spread her wings to their near full length. She gave him a nonchalant shrug to tell him that she didn't care if he stared or not.<p>

Desmond seemed to understand as he nervously rubbed his neck, "I didn't want to be rude; I sort of figured you might not like people staring."

"N-not anymore." She said quietly, she watched as her new friend stepped back in surprise,

"You talk!" he blushed as he realized he had just stated the obvious.

"S-s-sometimes…"

"I thought you were one of those silent types, I'm sorry." Oriel waved away his apology as he looked away sheepishly. She could see he was trying to hold in his questions and she had to admire the way he tried to act so respectful. It was silent for a moment before Desmond finally got the courage to speak again,

"Were you born with them?" Oriel nodded and slowly she watched as he got over his shyness and started to study her gift a little more. Slowly, as if not to startle her, he stepped around her and reached a timid hand toward one. Before his fingers brushed the clean white feathers he stopped to look at her, his eyes asking for permission. She nodded once and she felt his touch slide down the outer bone, he traced it and seemed to look for every sinew he could find. His touch seemed to memorize every muscle and cord and she saw that he admired their beauty. Then he lifted away his fingers and stepped back, "Thank you." Oriel could only smile at him.

_A/N: Wow has it been that long since I updated. I am so sorry guys. A lot of stuff has been going down lately with my dad in the hospital and me having to move. I'll try to update soon but I can't make any promises._

_2thestarsandabove  
><em>


	13. Family

Angel  
>NuadaOC  
>Chapter 12<br>Family

_**A/N: A list of reasons for my absence will be explained at the bottom. In the mean time enjoy the chapter.**_

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><p>Nuala watched her brother from the corner of her eyes; he wasn't showing any outward signs, he was too in control of himself for that, but jealousy was rolling off of him in waves making sitting next to him almost uncomfortable. Externally he was calm, composed, and the epitome of a person not caring. He was quietly eating his dinner as he sat next to Oriel and the human agent she had quickly befriended. Internally, however, was an entirely different story. Irritation was at the top of his emotional list, he hated having to hear the boy's voice and that he was sitting so close to Oriel was another object of his frustration. He was waging a war with himself to keep his emotions hidden from Oriel; Nuala knew her brother did not want to worry her. If one were to observe carefully, they could see the tense way Nuada was sitting, or how every time Desmond spoke he looked like he wanted to tear out his eardrums. The human said something Oriel thought was funny and the girl laughed, it rung beautifully in the air as she threw her head back. Her wings trembled with mirth as they stretched out and folded neatly against her back.<p>

Finally Nuada's patience reached its peak and he abruptly stood and left with his tray in hand to go eat in peace. Oriel's head shot up when she noticed he had moved, her eyes followed him out of the Cafeteria. Nuala could see she had sensed his irritation, she could probably see it's aura around him as well. Nuala sighed through her nose and returned to her salad. She had seen this three months ago, when her brother had first denied the jealousy he was feeling when Desmond started talking to the Angel hybrid. For three months he tried to avoid the duo at all costs, mostly because he didn't want the girl to ask him why he didn't like Desmond much. It would raise awkward questions Nuada would not know how to answer honestly.

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><p>Nuada had found a quiet place in the library to finish his dinner; he didn't know what was wrong with him. He was acting like a child who had gotten his favorite toy taken from them. Childish fits like this were simply not him, why in the world did that human bother him so much?! He slammed his fist against the table and breathed deeply through his nose. His half full plate sat in front of him no longer appealing, he had lost apatite. He pushed it away and wandered the library for an hour to free his mind of his troubles. He had just opened a book of tales he had heard when he was child when the communicator cackled at his side,<p>

"Red team, please convene to Conference room 34C. Red team, please convene to Conference room 34C."

Sighing Nuada closed the book with a snap and placed it back in its spot. He quickly left the library, the door clicking shut behind him and found the nearest elevator to the lower floors. He stopped off the transport in the level three basements and turned right to head down hallway C. When he reached the right room he pushed the door open, the entire red team was there along with Desmond and Oriel. He knitted his brows together, what was she doing here? She wasn't part of the team. Liz shook her head impatiently from the head of the room; she had a pile of papers in her hands,

"This concerns her too." She explained briefly as Nuada leaned against the wall, separating himself from the rest of the group. He noticed that Oriel was giving him a funny look, almost like she was scolding him. With a frown she got up from her chair and glided over to him. He opened his mouth to ask her if something was wrong but it was stopped short when she grabbed him by the hand and dragged him to an empty chair next to her. She promptly sat him down and took her seat next to him; she looked satisfied as she gave everyone innocent stares. Liz, who was shocked by Oriels display, said nothing of it and looked through her notes. When the room finally focused its attention on her she cleared her throat.

"Oriel," she addressed the young woman first, Liz seemed ecstatic about something, she had a big smile on her face as she came around the table and set down a portfolio of a South American woman in front of her. She had dark skin and black hair; her eyes were a striking blue color. Darker than Oriels but the same shape, the more Nuada looked at the photo the more similarities between the two he picked out. "I think we may have found your mother." Nuada held his breath, looking at her for any reaction; she was at a loss for words. She swallowed, staring at the picture. Slowly, with trembling fingers she reached out and gingerly picked it up to give it a closer look. Finally she looked up, she wanted to be excited Nuada could see it, but doubt made her cautious.

"Really?" her voice was barely above a whisper. Her eyes were starting to light up, quite literally. Her eyes started to glow white as her wings extended to their full length. An excited giggle escaped her lips as she gave a squeal of delight and grabbed the person nearest to her in a hug, which happened to be Nuada. He gasped as he felt magickal energy course through him, her emotions became his as she transferred all her happiness into him. A white stream of light sparked off of her as Nuada returned her embrace. Everyone was talking loudly and quickly as the two pulled apart, the white stream of light had circled the both of them. Twisting around the two like a ribbon, Nuada gave her a small smile as she finally squealed and the light exploded into a fabulous show of sparkling fireworks.

"We'll leave first thing in the morning."

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><p>Oriel barely slept that night, too excited to finally meet the woman whose DNA she shared. The young woman couldn't help wondering what the meeting would be like. She imagined her mother opening the door to her house and recognizing the face of the child she had helped create, she imagined her arms wrapping themselves around her in a warm hug. She could see her face in a smile, smell her perfume, and feel her heartbeat. Oriel sighed as she fidgeted in the car, the space to small for her to stretch her wings to their full length. They had taken the plane to Oklahoma and ushered her into a nearby car with dark windows. The winged woman was forced to wear a shoulder wrap to hide her wings and to avoid bringing attention to herself. Nuada sat next to her, drumming his fingers on his knees as he looked out the tinted windows. He seemed to stare off into space, not particularly thinking about anything as he watched fields of corn pass by.<p>

Oriel reached out and grabbed his hand, immediately he looked at her and she smiled at him. He barely returned it as he grasped her fingers lightly and returned his attention to what was happening outside. She frowned a bit; she wished he would stop being so withdrawn. He always looked so lonely all the time; he always preferred to be by himself than with others, usually keeping to his books or his strange inventions. It couldn't be healthy for him at all, she clasped his hand tighter than she had meant to and he grunted in discomfort. She instantly let go of him as guilt settled in her stomach, by hurting him she had hurt Nuala as well.

The first time Nuada had explained the twins' connection, she had been a bit confused at first. But his sister was more than happy to give Oriel a small demonstration. The two had sat her down and Nuada showed her his palm, pale with calluses from holding his weapon for many years. Then, much to Oriels surprise, he procured a knife and easily cut his hand open. The wound bled as expected but she was surprised when Nuala held out the same hand and there was an angry wound beginning to bleed as well. Nuada explained that they were twins and thus shared each other's pain; they knew when the other was upset, or where they were. There was nothing they could hide from each other, though they did learn over the years how to block certain images or parts of their life. Human twins were almost exactly alike except not on a level like Nuada and Nuala's.

It was no wonder Nuada was such a skilled warrior, he had to know how to keep himself alive, or his sister would suffer the consequences. Oriel was brought back to reality when the car took a sharp turn down a dirt filled road heading toward a stately house. Her stomach did excited flips as they drew nearer, this time Nuada grabbed her hand in comfort as the vehicle came to a stop. Oriel knew her mother was in her seventies, it had been fifty years since she had agreed to be the mother of a new race, the angel was lucky the woman was still alive. She had two other children since Oriel's creation, and several grandchildren, and she had retired to Oklahoma to live a quiet peaceful farm life. The young woman in the photo no longer existed just the wizened elder Mary Martinez had become.

The drive way was empty save for a flashy silver car, the barn was old and decrepit and the house, which looked elegant from afar, now looked like an old and very sad house. Oriel opened her door and stepped outside into the warm sun, she wrapped the shawl around her shoulders even tighter to keep her wings close to her back. Slowly the winged woman made her way to the rotting steps and went up them to see a very worn screen door. She was joined by Liz and Nuada, who flanked her sides. They were the two who had been selected to accompany Oriel, silently she wished Desmond were there to make her feel better but he was not part of Red Team and therefore not allowed to go. He had promised to be there when she returned, so she had something to look forward to.

Liz looked to her friends and knocked on the worn door. As they waited quietly a dry breeze rustled the trees around the property, Liz tried again but louder. This time she heard shuffling on the other side and all three watched as the door cracked open to reveal the aged face of a woman with long silver white hair. Her eyes were tired and sulky. She was a short woman, with tan, leathery skin. She looked between the three with confusion and suspicion.

"Ms. Martinez?" inquired Liz, Oriel looked at the old woman hopefully and she felt her heart soar as she nodded. She could barely contain her excitement as the old woman opened the door just a bit wider, "We'd like to talk to you about a private matter, do you mind if we come inside?" Mary looked between the three once again before giving a short nod and opening the door fully to let the trio inside. She closed the aged door and shuffled past to show her guests to a very well taken care of living room.

"Mamá?" a light voice, heavily accented floated down from a set of nearby stairs. A woman looking to be in her mid thirties walked down a few moments later. She too gazed at the group with curiosity and suspicion before turning to her Mother, "¿Qué está pasando aquí? Quiénes son ellos?"

"Son invitados en nuestra casa, y vamos a tratar como tales." The old woman's reply was quick and biting, she sounded like she had just scolded her daughter. Looking slightly abashed the younger woman turned to the three,

"I'm very sorry, my name is Elena. Can I help you?"

Liz smiled, "We're just here to talk to your Mother, but I'm afraid I have to ask you to leave the house for a moment."

Elena frowned, "I don't mean to sound rude, but you must understand: my mother is very old, I don't feel comfortable leaving her alone with a group of strangers."

"It can't be helped," argued Liz softly, "I'm sorry, but this is classified information. Now, please, leave us in peace before I ask my friend here to show you the door." Outraged at treated so rudely Elena snarled and marched past them. The door slammed shut rattling the windows. The trio followed Mrs. Martinez to her living room and made themselves comfortable.

There was a long silence. Oriel met the blue eyes of her mother; something ran across their glassy features. Like she almost recognized the white haired girl. A green uneasy aura hugged her skin, finally Liz cleared her throat.

"Mrs. Martinez, we know about the Celestial Genesis Project, about the Russians you donated your DNA to." Mary's uneasy aura strengthened, her hands clenched in her lap as her eyes began to water. She said nothing as Liz handed her a large file. When the old woman opened it she took out the picture of her younger self, "That's you, isn't it?"

The silence was uncomfortable; Mary gently put down the picture and wiped away the single tear that fell down her cheek. Her eyes snapped to Oriel's, she frowned and slowly got to her feet. She hobbled over to the angel's side and grasped her hand, as Mary tugged her to her feet she pulled on the shawl and let it fall to the floor. Oriel's wings lengthened with relief and nestled against her back with a quiet shuffle of her feathers.

"Leave," Everyone turned to Mary, her eyes glistened as she backed away slowly from her daughter, "Take the _Diabla _and leave my house, never come back." Oriel didn't understand, she reached out a hand to touch her mother. The older woman cringed and shook her head wildly, "Leave _Diabla!_" she screamed, "Leave!"

Elena came rushing through the front door. Nuada barely had enough time to grab the shawl and cover Oriel's wings. As Mary continued to scream in Spanish Nuada was escorting the winged woman out the door and into the car. Tears slipped down her face, she tried to hide her uncontrollable sobs with her hands. Nuada slipped into the seat next to her as Liz dived into the car and threw it into drive. They sped off down the driveway, leaving behind nothing but a trail of dust.

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><p>Nuada sprinted off the elevator, knowing that his sister was waiting for him on the other side of the gold door. He flung it open and nearly ran her over.<p>

"Sister," he grabbed Nuala by the shoulders and gazed into her eyes, "Why do you feel such sorrow?" He had felt it ever since the incident with Oriel's mother. It had been so extremely overpowering it nearly brought him to his knees in agony. But his sister gave him a confused stare,

"My sorrow?" she questioned, "I thought it was you." Both he and his sister could only gawk at each other. If it was not Nuala's sadness he was feeling than whose? He thought back to when it started. It only began after Oriel's mother had screamed at her daughter, calling her a she- devil. Confusion, shock, and then pain and sadness. Unless….

No it was impossible, but the memory of the light show Oriel had displayed in her happiness flashed back to him. Could it be possible she had created a connection between them? Slowly he turned to Oriel, who sat in a nearby chair crying. It would explain so much, about the emotions that were neither his nor Nuala's. He strode over to her, wings trembling with each shake of her shoulders. Liz was trying her best to calm the woman. When he approached she quietly backed away, gently he knelt by her side and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Oriel looked up at him, tears fell down her cheeks, and her eyes were glistening in the light.

Another wave of heart wrenching pain washed over him. He fought the urge to cry, swiftly, yet with kindness, he pulled her from the chair and fell to the floor with her in his arms. He cradled her; a hand wrapped around her body, the other holding her head against him. Oriel clung to his tunic, nails digging through the fabric and into his skin. Nuada gave her comfort as she sobbed, knowing it was the only thing she wanted in the world at that moment.

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><p><em><strong>AN: I am so sorry for the long wait. There a lot of reasons for why I haven't updated in a long while. The first is because I had a lot writer's block for the chapter. I was head butting a brick wall and walking away with a concussion. The next was because of a lot of problems between me and my stepmother. Needless to say those problems were solved with my middle finger, telling her to do a lot of anatomically incorrect actions, and moving out. The next one was my brother nearly died in the hospital and Summer College is starting soon.**_

_**I also wanted to take my time in this chapter. It's really important and I didn't want to half ass it. But I promised myself I'd get this chapter done before this weekend was out and I managed it!**_

_**So I really hoped you guys liked it! Leave a review in the box below, please! CONSTRUCTIVE criticism!**_

_**Pathless Spore**_


	14. Comfort

Angel  
>Hellboy Fanfic<br>Nuada/OC  
>Chapter 14<br>Comfort

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><p>Oriel sat in the corner of the cafeteria with her arms wrapped around her knees. Nuada watched as she gazed out at people listlessly, a deep sorrow in her heart. The prince rubbed his chest warily as she eventually closed her eyes and turned away; a wave of heartbreaking sadness followed after. As he observed her he felt Nuala sit down next to him and sigh.<p>

"Poor child, such sadness she feels." She said softly, Nuada nodded silently. Watching Oriel was heartbreaking. A creature such as her did not deserve to feel so broken, and he had never felt so helpless.

"Why do you not sit next to her, brother?"

"Because she no longer seeks my comfort." He replied evenly. Movement in his peripheral vision caused him to turn and watch as Desmond walked in through the door. He looked around until his eyes landed on Oriel. Carefully he approached her and sat beside her; from his pocket he pulled out his wallet and touched the angel gently on the arm. When he had her attention he showed her something.

She looked at it for a long time, listening to Desmond talk, before she shrugged her shoulders and turned away. Dejected the young agent stood and walked away, head hung in defeat.

"Not even Desmond can get her to smile," noted Nuala, "This is troubling, brother. Something must be done."

"What would you have me do," Nuada narrowed his eyes irritably at his sister, "She wants nothing to do with me, or anyone else for that matter."

His sister sighed through her nose, "I know not, but we cannot let her continue to suffer like this." Gracefully she stood; touched his should gently, and strode away. Nuada rubbed his temples as a fresh wave of sadness settled over him, bringing a migraine with it. Unable to take anymore of Oriel's depressing mood, he too stood and made to leave. Perhaps putting distance between him and her would ease the pain.

He came to the library in hopes of being alone only to find Hellboy, Liz, and Desmond talking to each other. Everyone turned at his entrance,

"Good, I was going to go and find you." Said Red, "Rookie here has an idea on how to get Oriel out of her funk."

"Do tell." Said the prince dryly, the young agent swallowed nervously under Nuada's harsh gaze,

"I think we should go and find Oriel's father." For a moment Nuada thought he was joking, until he noted the serious expression in the boys face. He opened his mouth to snap at him, "I know, I know! It sounds like a horrible idea, but think about it. If her father does want something to do with her, fantastic, right? If not, then she can get a fresh start. Then we can say we're her family, right?"

"He's got a point, Nuada." Said Liz as she came up to the boys' side, "It's better to cut off all ties to start again, then to try and move forward with a past dragging you down."

Nuada hissed between his teeth, Oriel was in so much pain and he loathed to put more upon her should her father cast her out. But Desmond and Liz's words were true. Eventually he looked away and nodded his head,

"Very well, but I will accompany her to her father's dwelling."

Liz nodded her consent and turned to her husband to talk. As Nuada swept out of the room, he felt Desmond close behind him. They walked in silence for a long while, until—

"What gave you the idea?"

"I'm sorry, what?"

Nuada repressed the urge to roll his eyes, "What gave you the idea to take Oriel to her father?"

Another bout of silence followed afterwards, for a moment the prince though the boy hadn't heard. He stopped and turned to see, only to find that Desmond had his wallet it out and was holding it for him to observe,

"Because I know what it's like to not have a family. I was orphaned when I was just a baby, and I grew up wondering why I wasn't wanted. When I was old enough I went to go find my parents, and learned that to them I was a mistake. It destroyed me for the longest time, until I found someone to help me start a family of my own."

Nuada took the tiny leather contraption and gazed at a picture of a woman with long chocolate-brown hair and blue eyes. In her arms she was holding a little girl who shared Desmond's eyes and smile. His wife and daughter, the young agent took back his wallet and smiled softly at the photo. "After all that I've been through, I know that they're my family, and that's all that matters. I think Oriel will come to understand that."

Nuada looked at Desmond with a new appreciation as he put away his wallet, and gave the prince a wide grin,

"I told Oriel all about my little girl; I think they'd like each other a lot. I hope one day they'll get to meet, that'd make Karen's day."

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><p>The angel sighed irritably in the car that was driving through the congested streets of New York.<p>

"Why are we doing this?" she asked softly, her gaze turned out the dark window, "What does it matter?"

Nuada eyed her for a moment, "Perhaps we'll have better luck with your father."

Oriel scoffed, "I doubt it."

"We won't know if we don't try." Replied the prince shortly, rubbing his chest as she became sad again, "Oriel, please reign in your emotions." She looked at him before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. Eventually her sadness washed away, Nuada sighed in relief.

The situation between them had been explained to the Angel. She understood that there was an emotional bond that would come with its risks and benefits. Nuada didn't know if she would suffer the same effects as he and Nuala did, but he wasn't willing to try to find out. Feeling her undiluted feelings was enough torture for the both of them.

Eventually they stopped outside of an expensive house, painted white with orange-red shutters. Oriel tugged her shawl around her shoulders tighter and followed Nuada out of the car. She ducked her head and ran up the steps with the Prince just behind her. His body shielded her from view as she ran the doorbell.

It took a few moments, but the door cracked open to show a pair of blue eyes staring out at them. The woman on the other side of the door gave a cry of elation and swung the entry open wider. With squeal she threw herself into Oriel's arms,

"Oh, you're here!" she cried as she pulled back, observing the Angel, "Father said you would come, he'll be so excited. Please, come in, both of you."

The strange woman with long black hair stepped back to let them in. Stunned the Angel was pushed through the door by Nuada who closed the door behind him. The foyer was expansive, with a large double staircase leading to the upstairs. To their left was a large living room and to their right a kitchen.

"This way!" called their hostess and the pair followed her through the living room to a closed wooden door. She knocked on it deftly, "Father, it's Regina, our guests have arrived!" she called, she shuffled excitedly and turned to the duo, "This is the clan den, each of the Four Great Clans has one. We'll explain it later when we get you settled down, Oriel."

"I'm sorry, "interrupted the Angel just as Regina was about to open the door, "How do you know my name?"

The black-haired woman laughed, "Father told us, silly. You'll see, you'll see!" She shoved Oriel through the door into a large, circular room. Sconces on the wall burned brightly, lighting up the expensive black leather furniture. At the head of the room, standing by the fireplace with a cane in his hand was a man. He was old in appearance, but exuded a great deal of power. At their entrance he turned to face them, when he saw Oriel a smile appeared on his face,

"You've come," he said softly as he crossed the room in a few short steps. This man towered above her, not a tall as Nuada but tall enough to make her feel small. He had sparkling blue eyes that gazed down at her with love, "My daughter, you've finally come home."

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><p><em><strong>AN: Sorry about the delay. I hope this makes up for it. I've been pretty busy lately, I've started college and between my multitude of tests and papers I've barely found time to sit down and write. Updates may be few and far in between as I flesh out the history of Oriels family, so please be patient. Which means don't PM me about updates; I'm working as fast as my schedule will allow me.**_

_**And please leave some CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM.**_

_**Pathless**_


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